Residents of Niles to pay more for water

The water provider needs 17 million to 18 million in improvements over three years.
By TIM YOVICH
VINDICATOR TRUMBULL STAFF
NILES -- Mayor Ralph A. Infante intends to pass along a water rate increase to city customers to offset the cost Niles will be charged for bulk water.
Infante discussed his plan Tuesday during a meeting of city administrators, city council and representatives of the Mahoning Valley Sanitary District.
The MVSD is a public wholesale water supplier to its member communities of Youngstown, Niles and McDonald.
Tom Holloway, MVSD chief engineer, told the group that it intends to ask a court of jurisdiction to increase its bulk water rate to member cities by 16 cents per 1,000 gallons in each of three years. The MVSD currently charges its members 97 cents per 1,000 gallons. The increase would be 48 cents over the three years.
He explained this, in turn, would cost the average customer who uses 5,000 gallons of water monthly an added 80 cents per month, or about 10 annually.
Holloway explained that the MVSD plans to seek the increase in early June from the court, which is made up of one common pleas court judge from each of Mahoning and Trumbull counties.
Infante said the increase to customers won't be passed on during the summer because they use more water in the summer. Customers won't see the increase, if the court approves it, until the August billing.
The mayor did not discuss increasing water rates during the second and third years of district increases.
Improvement plan
The wholesale rate increase, Holloway explained, is to offset the MVSD's three-year plan to improve equipment that will cost between 17 million and 18 million.
This includes the replacement of various valves, construction of two clarifiers, cleaning lagoons, roof work on the administration/filter building and installation of a system to reduce mineral buildup in the waterlines.
Recarbonization would reduce the buildup of calcium carbonate scales, thus lowering the maintenance cost of equipment, said Matthew Blair, an MVSD board member. It also reduces scale buildup in hot water tanks and coffee pots.
"We're only looking at what needs done," Blair said of the three-year plan.
From 2004 to this year, the district spent about 10 million on improvements, Holloway explained.
yovich@vindy.com