Sewer projects to cost $67.5M
Daily News Journal, January 29, 2012
Murfreesboro city officials plan to borrow $67.5 million for sewer upgrades and raise average customer rates gradually to nearly $16 per month by July 2016 to pay for the debt.
The fast-growing city needs to replace older sewer equipment and increase capacity, said Darren Gore, assistant director of Murfreesboro Water and Sewer Department.
The city is balancing a phased-in rate increase equal to replace the outdated sewer equipment for a growing city. Murfreesboro reached a population of 108,755 in the 2010 census after being at 68,816 in 2000.
“Population is going to continue to grow, so we are planning for continued growth,” Gore said. “That’s the main criteria that we have to move forward. That’s the driver.”
“It’s taken us a while to get to this point,” Gore said. “We’ve studied it, and now it’s time to implement. We look at growth projections over 20 to 30 years. This is typical of a utility. Once you get to the 80 percent benchmark (of existing capacity of sewer system), it’s time to start making expansion plans.”
Infrastructure has become a regional issue as many communities have struggled to maintain existing infrastructure while expanding with growth. Land use decisions can have a major impact on infrastructure costs for communities. CRT’s 2003 study showed that our region could save over $3.5 billion over 20 years through quality growth planning and implementation.
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