Thursday, November 7, 2024–11:00 a.m.
-David Crowder, WRGA News-
The Rome Water and Sewer Committee got a look at the results of a study into tap fees Thursday and approved a recommendation for a change proposed for the first of the year.
Rome Water and Sewer Division Director Jon Boyd is recommending that tap fees stay the same for three-fourth, and one-inch lines, which is $1,600 and $3,300, respectively.
“We can hold those numbers and those are the ones we sell the most of,” he said. “One is residential, and the one-inch is a commercial line. We are a little higher than others, but we also have to deal with sidewalks and pavement that some other communities might not have to deal with.”
Boyd is recommending an increase from $6,000 to $8,000 for a two-inch line.
The fee schedule gets a little more complicated when considering the larger lines. Currently, the fee is $14,000 for a four-inch line, $18,000 for a six-inch line, and $25,000 for eight-inch lines. The results of the study showed a wide variety of costs. Some communities just charge for labor and materials, while others charge a fee, plus labor and materials all paid for by the customer. In Carroll County, that fee is $280,000 for an eight-inch line. Boyd is recommending that Rome have no fee with the customer paying for labor and materials.
“The labor and materials can get pretty high,” he said. “The cost of materials would fluctuate because we pass along the cost of what pay. The labor would be a ratio factor maybe with a 1.5 multiplier to cover the labor, not a double. We’re not into that business. However, it would be something consistent. We still have a little bit of time to figure that out.”
Boyd added that labor and materials can become subjective. If a developer buys a six-inch line now for $20,000, another might come along in a year or so and pay more for the same installation, due to market costs.
“We will be able to show those numbers,” Boyd said.
In December, officials will be going over the results of a rate study and they will encompass the tap fees into that conversation. They will then come up with a recommendation to present to the full Rome City Commission.
Tap Fee Study
