Changes to all utility bills issued after July 1, 2023

At the rate hearing held on June 22, 2023, the Board of Public Works approved adjustments to the charges for water and sewer utility services for Fiscal Year 2024.  No changes were made to the stormwater charges.   These changes went into effect on July 1, 2023 and were effective for all bills issued after July 1, 2023.  A copy of updated rate charges approved by the Board can be found on the Town’s website.   https://town.pepperell.ma.us/247/Water-Division 

Please review this information before calling the DPW regarding your bill.  Emailing water@town.pepperell.ma.us is an easy way to get your questions answered regarding the changes to your bill.      

 A summary of the changes and how they will impact your utility bill can be found below. 

Water Use Charges 

The usage charges were increased by 5% on all tiers.  This was needed largely associated with increased operation, maintenance and repair costs for the production of water - chemicals, electricity, etc.   Additionally, decreased usage due to water restrictions has impacted the revenue required to operate the water system.  Every user of the water system will see a slight increase in their bill.  

The primary change to the charges was in the rate structure.  A tier provides a different charge for the amount of water used based on the total quantity of water used in cubic feet (cf).  A cubic foot of water is equivalent to 7.48 gallons of water.  At the base tier water costs less than a penny per gallon.  Escalating charges are a critical component of water conservation standards.  The current table charges $0.0525 per cubic foot of water for the first 800 cubic feet of water used in a billing period.  The rate increases to $0.0777 per cubic foot for the next 1500 cubic feet of water used.  

The base charge per unit remains unchanged at $30 per unit.  The number of units for each bill is derived from the Assessor’s database.  A single-family home is considered one unit, where as a duplex has two units.  A unit may be commercial, industrial, residential, etc. in nature. 

 Sewer Use Charges 

At the rate hearing held on June 22, 2023, the Board of Public Works approved adjustments to the charges for water and sewer utility services for Fiscal Year 2024.  No changes were made to the stormwater charges.   These changes went into effect on July 1, 2023 and were effective for all bills issued after July 1, 2023.  A copy of updated rate charges approved by the Board can be found on the Town’s website.   https://town.pepperell.ma.us/241/Rates

Stormwater Charges 

At the rate hearing held on June 22, 2023, the Board of Public Works approved adjustments to the charges for water and sewer utility services for Fiscal Year 2024.  No changes were made to the stormwater charges.   These changes went into effect on July 1, 2023 and were effective for all bills issued after July 1, 2023.  A copy of updated rate charges approved by the Board can be found on the Town’s website.  Most people will not see a change to the stormwater bill.   

The charges for stormwater were changed to better allocate the costs incurred by the Town in the operation and maintenance of the stormwater system.  Parcels that are undeveloped are not charged the stormwater fee.  The charges for developed parcels are split into two types - residential and non-residential.  The residential fees are based upon a dwelling unit.  The fee of $60 is unchanged for single-family homes.  For properties containing multiple attached units, a charge of $30 per unit is charged.  

Non-residential properties are assessed a fee based upon the total impervious area contained on the property.  An analysis of the impervious area for non-residential properties was conducted, which was compared to a typical single-family home.   The typical home is 3,500 square feet of impervious area, which is an “ERU” – equivalent residential unit.  A five-tier table is used that assesses the stormwater fee based upon the number of ERUs that are on the property.  The charges are primarily assessed quarterly with the other utility bills.  Properties that do not receive water or sewer services from the Town are assessed on an annual basis with the August billing.

Please review this information before calling the DPW regarding your bill.  Emailing water@town.pepperell.ma.us is an easy way to get your questions answered regarding the changes to your bill.