On November 5, the Pleasant Prairie Village Board considered and approved the 2019 water and sewer utilities budgets. These budgets have been forwarded to the Village Consultant, Baker Tilly, to evaluate Village sewer rates and review the application that will be sent to the WI Public Service Commission for a water rate study. Once the rates are determined these budgets may be modified in the spring if necessary.
Pleasant Prairie’s water and sewer rates are based on the size of the meter and the volume of water used. Water rates are tiered based on the number of gallons consumed; while sewer rates are calculated with a winter-based average to account for water used on lawns or in yards that will not pass through the sanitary sewer system. Pleasant Prairie posts rates (utility fees) and more detailed information at PleasantPrairieWi.gov/Departments/Sewer_and_Water_Utilities/Utility_Bill_Rates.
During 2019, the water utility will continue upgrading water meters and make upgrades to the supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) to monitor energy usage in the water system using updated reports at the water booster stations. SCADA is a computerized control system that reports activity in sewer and water utilities. One time expense water utility painting of the Ladish Tower.
As part of the sewer utility budget, staff will rebuild the Slaters Lift Station in 2019. The old lift station has exceeded its useful service life. The new lift station will have new pumps, a back-up generator, safety grating, controls, and monitoring devices. An ongoing goal is to reduce the amount of Inflow and Infiltration (I/I) that leaks into the sewer system. In 2019 the Village plans to line all clay main, top hat lateral, and grout manholes to eliminate the worst I/I flows entering the system.
Utility staff will continue to implement new technology to streamline operations and improve efficiency to help control costs. The water utility remains debt free and the sewer utility will be debt free by 2020. At the end of 2018, the sewer utility has $2.4 million in outstanding principal, with $300,000 to be paid in 2019 and $2,175,000 in 2020.