MWRD has released its proposed 2015 User Charge fees, and it is generally good news for the industrial and tax-exempt communities. Due to the rate smoothing mechanism worked out between MWRD, industry representatives, and consultants including Gabriel at the Blue Ribbon Panel, the 2015 rate changes are equal to last year’s changes, with the exception of the OM&R factor which was not part of the rate smoothing agreement. As with the 2014 rates, the 2015 rates for industrial users and tax-exempt users are the same.
Volume rates will increase, while BOD and SS rates will be reduced. The OM&R factor will decrease by 10% – however, the decreased OM&R factor is actually an increase in the amount a User owes to MWRD since it is a decrease in the tax credit going towards User Charge.
Proposed
2015 |
Adopted
2014 |
% Change
from 2014 |
|
Volume $/MG | $250.51 | $246.08 | +1.8% |
BOD $/Klbs | $240.49 | $245.75 | -2.1% |
SS $/Klbs | $154.08 | $159.72 | -3.5% |
OM&R Factor | 0.391 | 0.435 | -10.1% |
- MG: million gallons
- Klbs: thousand pounds
- Operations, Maintenance & Replacement Factor: Tax credit applied to User Charge fees
We appreciate that MWRD has listened to the concerns of the User community to keep the User Charge rates steady, as well as decrease the burden of the User Charge fees in terms of the total MWRD budget. Overall, Users are responsible for a smaller percentage of MWRD’s Inflow & Infiltration (I&I) fees in 2014/15 than they had been prior to the Blue Ribbon Panel changes last year.