Above is an installed secondary water meter, called a deduct meter. The primary meter measures the total amount of water a home uses. The deduct meter measures how much of the water is used outside and does not enter the city’s sanitary sewer system. (Photo submitted)
Marysville residents who water their lawn or flowers may be getting some relief for their sewer bills.
The Marysville Finance Committee is sponsoring legislation that will eliminate the city’s summer sewer credit and replace it with a grant program that will allow residents to install a second meter, called a deduct meter, to measure outdoor water use.
Under the legislation, residents will be able to apply for a grant to pay for the deduct meter which costs $339, reimburse half of the cost of installation up to $300 and waive the cost of inspection for the meter. The finance committee capped the grant program at $30,000. City Finance Director Justin Nahvi said the water fund could absorb the cost of the program without asking for an adjustment.
The city measures water going into a home. Currently, that measurement is used to establish the home’s water use as well as it’s sewer use. While water used for lawns, flowers, car washes, pools or other outside projects does not enter the city’s sewer system, the resident gets billed for it. The secondary meter would measure the amount of water that goes to outside spigots and deduct that amount from the total amount of water the home uses. While the home still pays for all the water, the sewer bill includes only the amount used inside the home.
Until 2018, the city had a summer sewer credit that allowed residents to deduct a portion of water, representing outside use, from their sewer bill. The credit program, however, was eliminated due to the implementation of new utility software.
Earlier this year, council approved a revised summer sewer credit program for residents that met certain requirements. Nahvi said 127 residents received the summer sewer credit.
At last month’s meeting, several members of the public said they were concerned because they did not realize the credit was not automatically applied, but that residents had to apply for it.
Nahvi and Marysville Director of Public Service Mike Andrako said secondary meters would save customers more money in the long run.
The residents, however, said they worried that those on a fixed income would not be able to pay the upfront costs for a deduct meter.
Nahvi received permission to look at the water bill for several of the residents expressing concern.
At the most recent meeting, Nahvi reported that using a deduct meter would have saved the residents more money on their sewer bill than the summer sewer credit.
Nahvi said that if the legislation passes, he will send letters to the 127 customers who received the summer sewer credit, letting them know about the grant program.
The assistance will apply only to city residents. Water users outside the city can still use a deduct meter, the city, however, will not assist with the cost or installation.
“They don’t live here. They don’t pay taxes here,” said Mark Reams, a city council member who sits on the finance committee. “They can pay for their own meter.”