The quarterly rate for Sewer Rental in the general UAJA service area is $100.00, and $122.40 for the Pine Grove Mills area.
For detailed information regarding permit and tapping fees, click here. For more information about quarterly billing, click here. To learn about 2010 increases, continue reading below.
2010 Rate Increase
When a Municipal Authority raises rates for its services, the customers are certainly entitled to an explanation. Nobody likes a rate increase, and we at UAJA do not like to raise rates - rate increases are a last resort. Hopefully the information below will explain why we need to increase rates in 2010.
Growth
As you are probably aware, growth in the Centre Region has slowed. It has not stopped, but it has slowed to the point that UAJA is not collecting enough revenues from new customers to counter the inflationary pressures we see every year from increasing operating costs.Electricity
Our facility depends on electricity to run - with increasing fuel costs and the end of deregulation we are now experiencing much higher electrical rates.Chemicals And Raw Materials
If you purchase any cleaning supplies such as bleach, soap, detergent, etc., you have probably noticed the increase in price. To meet our environmental regulations, UAJA purchases large quantities of chemicals. Most of those chemicals have increased significantly in cost over the past two years.To comply with the regulatory requirements of the Chesapeake Bay Tributary Strategy, UAJA has to increase its use of certain chemicals.
Debt Payments
UAJA has sold revenue bonds to borrow money to build the infrastructure needed to serve the community. Nearly all of the debt is fixed rate, and the interest rates are quite good, however, since the community was expected to grow faster our debt payments were tailored to increase with each year so the future customers would be around to help pay down more of the debt. As related in the Growth section above, the rate of growth has slowed considerably. The debt that was expected to be paid by future customers is still there, but the projected customers are not. Therefore, current customers end up having to pay more. Our debt payment increases by about $100,000 per year.Comparison With Other Communities
Although UAJA has raised rates over the past several years, there is some good news. You may have read or heard about drastic rate increases being projected in other communities to comply with new Chesapeake Bay treatment requirements imposed by the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection. UAJA has already upgraded its facilities to meet those requirements. The rates you are paying reflect full compliance. Unlike many communities in Central Pennsylvania, you will not see a huge rate increase in the next few years. Some communities will more than double their rates.UAJA’s rates still remain near average for the state of Pennsylvania. When you consider that our community is required to meet some of the toughest wastewater regulations in the State, treatment rates near average is very cost efficient.