Village increases water rate

Citing a drop in usage because of a wet summer, Village Comptroller Mike Schussheim proposed — and the village board adopted, in a 4-1 vote — a 17.5 percent increase in the water rate, effective Sept. 1, at the Board of Trustees meeting on Sept. 15.

The increase is necessary, Schussheim said, because while usage was down during the summer, which meant less revenue for the Water Department, its costs remained the same. The rate hike comes on the heels of an increase of 16.5 percent in June of 2008.

“The village water fund is facing a serious financial crisis,” Schussheim told the board at the meeting. He explained that pumpage, the amount of water the village pumped out, from Jan. 1 to Aug. 31 of this year was down 15 percent from the same period last year. And during the summer months — May through August — the volume was down 20 percent. Those four months make up about 45 percent of the total yearly pumpage, he said.

As a result, Water Department revenues are down 8 percent, and could be as much as 15 percent lower by the end of the fiscal year. “Fifteen percent may not seem like a big number,” Schussheim said, “but when you’re talking about the water fund, it is.” The Water Department’s budget is about $4.5 million, he said, so 15 percent is about $675,000.

As of now, because of the decreased revenue, there is only about $570,000 in the village’s water fund. If an emergency were to arise, such as a ruptured water main, that money would be quickly used up in the repair effort, because water emergencies tend to be very expensive, Schussheim said.

The average annual water use for a home in Rockville Centre, he said, is about 133,000 gallons per year, which would mean a bill of about $394. With the increase, the average household expenditure would climb to about $460. But if residents use less water, Schussheim added, their water bills should be about the same. The rate is still reasonable compared with neighboring municipalities, he said, which charge about $600 per year for water.

“No one wants to present this kind of scenario,” Schussheim said of the rate increase, “but unfortunately, that’s what we face.”

The lone voice of dissent on the five-person board was Trustee Kevin Glynn. He cited statistics he found that contradicted what Schussheim said, making the case that this summer was actually a dry one, with average or below-average rainfall. Because of this, Glynn said, he thought residents might be using less water to save money, not because of a wet season.

“I’m concerned we’re misdiagnosing this and looking to raise rates when residents are looking to economize,” he said.

According to the National Weather Service, however, the rainfall at LaGuardia Airport (the area closest to Rockville Centre where official statistics are compiled), was above average for most of the summer. May was slightly below average, as was August, but June and July had rainfall that was well above average. In total, from May 1 to Aug. 31, LaGuardia recorded 21.71 inches of rain, more than five inches above the normal 16.23 inches.

“Either way,” Schussheim said, “it’s not working out, and the prudent thing to do, unfortunately, is to raise rates and make sure we have sufficient cash on hand.”

“No one wants to raise water rates,” said Mayor Mary Bossart, “but water is essential.”

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