Heads up, Norcross: Your Water Bill May Increase

The city of Norcross plans to sell its water and sewer system to Gwinnett County. The decision, which now rests on the shoulders of the Norcross City Council, could happen as early next Monday, April 1, at the regular council meeting.

Before the April city council meeting, there were two other meetings that covered this topic: a special-called meeting before last week's policy work session, and the town hall meeting last Monday.

As discussed in this week's town hall meeting, here's what you need to know about the upcoming transition:

-Rates are expected to increase by $7.50 on average per month for both water and sewer, according to Alisha Voutas, the customer service manager for Gwinnett County's Department of Water Resources. This number is based on the fact that a typical consumer uses 6,000 gallons of water per month. The regular water rate for the county is $4.69 per thousand gallons.

-Sewage rates are charged according to water usage, which is the same as what the city of Norcross has been doing. The county's sewer rate is $7.11 per thousand gallons.

-For irrigation, the county doesn't charge for sewer, but it does for water, which is $9.38 per thousand gallons, double the regular rate.

-Customers will be billed directly from the county. If the council passes the agreement next week, the city will take its final reads at the end of April and bill in May, and the county will take over May 14. Norcross' meters will be read first by the county in mid to late June, according to Voutas.

-Meters are read manually every month. The county rarely estimates readings.

-Gwinnett County aims to respond to water and sewer inquiries within two hours. Most leaks and repairs occur on the west side of the county, so many times a water or sewage truck will be within three miles of the city of Norcross. In the last five years, Gwinnett never has had anyone out of water for more than 12 hours except for one incident involving a water main break. If the county knows someone will be without water for more than six hours, the county will give water bottles to the consumer.

-Gwinnett County has big plans once the system is theirs. They will replace most of the residential meters within the first month, according to Jeffrey Boss, the director of field operations for the county's water department. The polybutylene service lines that run between the water meter and the main can be a huge source of leaks, so the county will replace the remaining polybutylene pipes. With the sewer system, Norcross has many clay pipes that have deteriorated, so the county will assess the entire area over the next few years by placing cameras along the lines. The county will then rank the pipes according to which ones need to be replaced first.

-The city is selling the water system for $2 million to the county.

-Gwinnett County has a new water treatment center, and it's apparently one of the best in the country, according to Norcross Mayor Bucky Johnson.

-Gwinnett County has 230,000 customers, and the city of Norcross has 2,200. About half of the city's residents already are getting their water and sewer services from the county.

-In 1977, the city made a contract with the county where Norcross buys all the water from the county, and the city send all its sewage to the county. The city pays retail rates, except for the 50 percent discount on water because Norcross shares a five-million gallon storage tank with the county, fifty-fifty.

-The decision on the future of Norcross' water and waste water system started five years ago when the city put together a task force, consisting of two councilmen and three citizens, to consider all possible options such as privatizing and selling. After six months of work, they decided selling was the best option, so negotiations with the county started. The mayor noted that the city has spent millions of dollars on repairs and upgrades to the system, and the city has not been breaking even or making a profit from it.

-Concerning water pressure: The city is currently being fed water through three meters with the storage tank in service. The county's current proposal is to leave the meters in, and if more water volume and pressure is needed, they'll open additional connections that are currently closed and take the city's tank out of commission.

What do you think about the city's decision to sell its water and sewer system to the county? Tell us in the comments.

See also:

• County to Purchase Norcross Water System
• Weigh in on the Norcross Water System Agreement

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