10-07-2005 Mayor Announces 10-year Plan for a Cleaner River and Healthier Neighborhoods

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Mayor Announces 10-year Plan for a Cleaner River and Healthier Neighborhoods Page 1 of 2 � v%• 'Building a 21St Century City " ' rs Stephen J. Luecke, Mayor RELEASE FROM: FOR RELEASE: Office of the Mayor Friday, October 7, 2005 Mayor Announces 10-year Plan for a Cleaner River and Healthier Neighborhoods Phased Sewer Rate Increase Will Fund First Four Years Mayor Stephen J. Luecke today announced a 10-year, $118 million plan that will solve chronic sewage backups in several neighborhoods and continue to reduce raw sewage overflows into the St. Joseph River during wet weather. "A 21st Century city needs to take responsibility for the sewage we create," Mayor Luecke said. "It's no longer acceptable to have raw sewage overflowing into people's basements and the river with nearly every rainfall. Although we've been working on this problem since the 1990s, we need additional funds now to continue our progress" Untreated sewage overflows into the river from the city's outdated sewer system, which can be overwhelmed by incoming stormwater when it rains or snows. These overflows send 1.8 billion gallons of untreated sewage into the St. Joseph River each year. In some neighborhoods, raw sewage backing up into people's basements is a chronic and recurring problem. Mayor Luecke's Clean River-Healthy Neighborhoods Plan will help solve chronic sewage backups into basements in these neighborhoods and improve sewage collection and treatment capabilities. When complete, the 10-year plan will reduce the city's raw sewage overflow volume by 38 percent in a typical year. "The St. Joseph River is an important community resource enjoyed by our residents as well as visitors to our area—from Olympic-caliber kayakers and recreational canoeists to weekend sport fishermen. It's a resource we need to protect,"the mayor said. The first four years of the plan will be financed by a sewer rate increase that will be introduced to the Council on Monday, October 10. The table below shows the annual revenue needed in 2006-2009 for capital improvements and operation and maintenance of the sewer system and treatment plant. Projected rates are based upon a monthly residential bill of 5,000 gallons. Annual Revenue Average Monthly Year Needed Residential Bill (5,000 Gallons) Current (2005) $14,760,292 $16.77 2006 $19,670,888 $21.62 2007 $22,182,260 $24.88 2008 $24,288,191 $27.63 2009 $25,577,316 $30.08 http://www.ci.south-bend.in.us/Press/Releases 2005/100705 rates.htm 1/13/2006