Toledo surcharges to be balanced by master meter to Wood County
A master meter for water from Toledo will mean some changes for the
nearly 7,000 Wood County customers getting their water from Toledo.
While Toledo officials are planning to bump up the water surcharge for
users outside the city, it will not negatively impact Wood County
customers, according to Jerry Greiner, executive director of the
Northwestern Water and Sewer District.
“I’ve got five different contracts with Toledo,” with the surcharges
already ranging from 50 to 115 percent, Greiner said this morning.
“Those surcharges are nothing new.”
The proposed 75 percent surcharge for non-Toledo customers will not
affect any existing contracts. And while Rossford, which just joined the
water district on Jan. 1 will be affected, the rates will not be a big
increase since they will be balanced out by the fact that the master
meter is being installed for Wood County users of Toledo water.
The master meter on East Broadway will be installed and ready by May 1.
The change will require the district to take full responsibility for
service for approximately 2,300 customers in Rossford, 700 in western
Northwood, and another 4,000 in other parts of northern Wood County.
That means the district will be responsible for daily sampling and leak
detection.
“They will have to lower the rate for us to get us to go with a master
meter,” Greiner said. At the same time, the district will retain its
“declining block” benefits, which include lower rates when more water is
used. “I’ll be able to buy more water at the old 50 percent surcharge,
but at a declining block rate.”
After the master meter is in place, accounts will be billed monthly
rather than quarterly providing a more economical option for users and
additional direct-pay and credit card options for payment will be
available for users, according to Greiner.
The change will also create improved customer service with little
waiting on phone inquiries, more timely field response, more accurate
billing as well as a better response for all inquiries through the
district’s phone, mail, e-mail and Facebook services, he said.
To meet the new demands of the master meter, an estimated nine new
employees will be hired by the district. Additional building space and
equipment is being considered as well.
The district currently employs 53 people with approximately 70 water and
sewer licenses for water treatment, water distribution, sewer
collection and sewer treatment approved by the Ohio EPA. Over 20
customers are served with water and/or sewer service ranging from
Northwood, Rossford, Walbridge, Millbury in the north to Hoytville and
Bairdstown in the south.
In the latest area to join the district, Rossford has seen more of a
district presence already, Greiner said. For the last few months, field
technicians have been mapping the existing water and sewer lines while
comparing existing blue prints of the system. The district has
electronically recorded and filed this information with water tap, sewer
tap, and maintenance records for the district’s 18 field laptops to
utilize and provide better customer service, according to Greiner.