Columbus City Utilities is looking into potential sewer improvements for the northwest section of its service area.
On Dec. 17, the utility service board approved a professional services agreement with Strand Associates for a regional capacity plan. Utilities executive director Scott Dompke said the agreement is not to exceed $30,000, which will be paid out of the 2021 wastewater utility budget.
He told the Republic that the plan will focus on the “northwest segment of the sewer service area.”
“We would like to see if there’s a way for us to reduce the number of lift stations and by consolidating and installing some gravity sewer extensions,” Dompke said at the Dec. 17 board meeting.
He said that as Columbus City Utilities pursues its plans for a sewer rate increase, they will be considering which sewer projects may need to be funded through bonds.
“We think that this is an area that we could probably improve our service level, reduce our operation and maintenance costs by potentially making some investments in capital,” he said.
He said that the regional capacity plan will determine possible capital improvement projects for that area.
“Then we can decide if we need to fund them with rates, or if we can fund them with annual extensions and replacement dollars or just with annual, other kind of annual capital dollars,” Dompke said.
Utilities manager of finance and business operations Arron O’Neal has said in the past that officials anticipate a sewer rate increase going into effect in June. The amount of the increase has yet to be announced.
