Increases and substantial changes to how water and sewer rates are calculated, including quarterly billing and the funding of a new stormwater enterprise fund, were approved June 12 by the Somerville City Council.
Starting July 1, residential ratepayers will see an average 18 percent increase in water rates and 12 percent increase in sewer rates. This marks a large change from the zero percent rate increase approved last year.
The current fee system for water and sewer is based only on water use and does not consider runoff, with residential properties “paying more than their fair share” compared with commercial properties, said Rich Raiche, the city’s director of infrastructure and asset management. Residential properties with more than three units should see a decrease of around 10 percent on their bills next year, and some large commercial payers will see an increase of more than 400 percent, thanks to the stormwater fee.
Multiple versions of a rate proposal was presented to the public throughout May before one was finalized June 11 by Raiche and water and sewer department staff.
Only councilors Kristen Strezo and Will Mbah voted not to approve the measure. Councilor Willie Burnley Jr. was marked as absent.
During the council meeting, Mbah said he heard from constituents who want the city to use some of a reported $20.5 million in stabilization funds to help defray the cost to ratepayers. Some money from that fund was used last year to keep increases at zero in 2025.
The move just pushes off inevitable increases, Raiche said. The approved increases were the result of “dire financial circumstances” created by the council not approving increases last year of 9.5 percent in water rates and 5 percent in sewer rates, according to the rate proposal presentation.
Stormwater fee
A stormwater fee will begin appearing on bills in January based on how much water a taxpayer’s property absorbs.
“The stormwater fee is going to be fairly small” for residential users and offset by lower sewage fees, while commercial parcel owners will pay more, Raiche said. The change was outlined in a final report submitted June 11.
In examples from the report, an average single-family residence could see $173 quarterly stormwater fees; an average small restaurant $152; an average commercial facility, $10,420.
Somerville joins communities such as Wellesley and Milton in charging a fee based on how much impervious surface a parcel has, with the less absorbent ones incurring a higher fee. Somerville is covered in large part by impervious surfaces, from large commercial lots to paved backyards and city streets.
Aging infrastructure
Much of the city’s water and sewer infrastructure combines property sewage with stormwater, is old and does not meet regulatory standards, and future costs will be more expensive. Today, 90 percent of city pipes are more than 50 years old and 70 percent of those are older than 100 years, Raiche explained.
Deeper in the report, the city projected borrowing needs are projected to blossom to $35 million by 2035 because of new borrowing needed to support long-term capital improvements, mostly stormwater mitigation. The fee structure changes and introduction of the stormwater utility now will help save the city and its taxpayers money in the long term.
Other improvements include rehabilitating and replacing pipes, lowering the amount of combined sewer water, adding storage capacity to reduce flooding on city surfaces and upgrading water valves and sewer manholes. The water department is also adding headcount to help with billing, which will occur four times a year instead of three.
Founders skating rink
In other news, a request by mayor Katjana Ballantyne for funds to turn a Founders Memorial Skating Rink into a multipurpose facility was not approved.
The council called city officials to two committee meetings in April and May to explain the city’s plans to balance keeping the ice rink frozen in winter with its desire for a year-round recreational center. After hearing from advocates and supporters, mostly on behalf of girls’ skating programs and opportunities, councilors voted against it. The surface was not frozen last year, and the Somerville Youth Hockey Association collected more than 300 signatures demanding the city save the ice sheet.
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