On Monday, November 14, the Pleasant Prairie Village Board unanimously approved the Clean Water, Sewer, and Water Utility budgets. All three budgets will maintain current services and keep rates steady throughout 2023. As a result, Pleasant Prairie property owners will not see an increase in Clean Water, Sewer, or Water Utility bills in 2023.
Clean Water Utility manages and maintains the Village's stormwater infrastructure, protecting groundwater from contaminated stormwater runoff. The approved 2023 Clean Water Utility budget includes operating, capital, and debt service. The Clean Water Utility budget adoption will maintain the current $6 per month Equivalent Runoff Unit charge. Funds collected by the stormwater fee are used to maintain Village-owned stormwater infrastructures and catch basins, and preserve natural drainage systems like streams and buffers. In 2023, the Clean Water Utility will continue to perform street sweeping, outfall inspections, and catch basin cleaning. The proposed budget includes approximately $2.2 million in revenue and $2.6 million in expenses. The fund has sufficient reserves to cover 2023 operating expenses and capital requests.
Pleasant Prairie’s sewer and water rates are based on the meter’s size and water volume used. Sewer rates are calculated with a winter-based average to account for any water used on lawns or yards that might infiltrate and pass through the sanitary sewer system during the summer months. As part of the 2023 Sewer Utility budget, the Village Board approved nearly $500,000 in capital and decision packages. The utility will cover costs of rebuilding lift stations, making sewer adjustments in association with the paving program, and conducting sewer rehab to reduce the amount of Inflow and Infiltration that leaks into the sewer system.
Pleasant Prairie Water Utility is a wholesale customer and purchases all water from Kenosha Water Utility. Water rates are based on the number of gallons consumed, measured by the water meter. In 2023, Water Utility will conduct approximately $1 million worth of improvements, including continuing upgrades to water meters and MXU radio communication devices to eliminate outdated equipment. In addition, the utility will replace the Barnes Creek water main relay and replace pump drives along Sheridan Road in conjunction with the Wisconsin Department of Transportation Sheridan Road repaving project. Other projects include replacing industrial and residential water meters, developing advanced metering infrastructure, and replacing obsolete fire hydrants.