Medfield Water and Sewer Rates Increase in 2011

Medfield’s 2011 water rate increased by 55 cents and its sewer rate increased by $1.02 after the town’s Water and Sewer Board approved the figures after a public hearing in June.

The 2011 base charge for water use under 10,000 gallons per month is $28.23, up from $27.68 in 2010. Users using less than 35,000 gallons will pay an additional $.249 per 1,000 gallons – up from $2.40 a year ago. Those who use between 35,001 and 70,000 gallons will pay an added $3.96, an increase from $3.81 in 2010 and those using over 70,000 gallons will pay $5.62 per 1,000 gallons in addition to the base rate, which is up from $5.35.

Sewer rates have seen an increase as well, according to the Town of Medfield’s website.

The base charge for sewer usage has been set at $80.02 for 2011, up from $79 in 2010. Users will pay an additional $8.25 per 1,000 gallons for anything over 10,000 gallons of use.

Medfield’s Water and Sewer Board determines the town’s water and sewer rates after it reviews how much it costs the town to manage its water supply and over the past five years, according to the town’s website, the rates have steadily increased each year.

this summer because the town is “pumping too much water,” according to Department of Public Works Superintendent Ken Feeney.

Feeney said the town should be pumping “about a million gallons per day” but during the summer months can see that number increase to three million gallons per day.
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That’s just too high,” Feeney said. “There’s no reason to be using that much water.”

As a result, Feeney said the more water being used, the higher the rates will be. That notion is consistent with the 2011 water and sewer rates that were approved by the Water and Sewer Board – but Feeney said even higher rates don’t prevent some from over-using the town’s water supply.

“Some people don’t care [about the rates],” Feeney said. “They’re still watering too much.”

Feeney said in June the town was pumping nearly three million gallons of water a day, when it should be pumping around a million to a million and a half gallons per day in the summer – an indication that users in town will be paying a lot more later for what they are pumping now.