On December 16, the Pleasant Prairie Village Board considered and approved the 2020 water and sewer utility budgets. The new budgets will keep water and sewer rates steady during 2020 and will not require an increase.
Pleasant Prairie’s water and sewer rates are based on the size of the meter and the volume of water used. Water rates are based on the number of gallons consumed, measured by the water meter; 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
here.
As part of the sewer utility budget, a $3.3 million capital expense has been approved for sewer rehab to reduce the amount of Inflow and Infiltration (I/I) that leaks into the sewer system. The Village plans to line all clay mains, top hat laterals, and grout manholes to eliminate the worst I/I flows that are entering the system.
During 2020, 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.
Utility staff continues to implement new technology to streamline operations, improve efficiency, and help control costs. The water utility remains debt free and the sewer utility will pay off $2.2 million outstanding principal to become debt free in 2020.