(Oregon, OH) Oregon water and sewer rates may be increasing-- but for different reasons.
Oregon city council is considering the rate increases for a pair of long-term projects to improve water quality, including what flows into Lake Erie. A two dollar-per month water rate hike would help offset a 15-million dollar project to add ozone treatment of Oregon's drinking water supply, to help mitigate toxic algae blooms that could affect water intake.
A four-dollar per month sewer bill hike to increase the capacity of its wastewater treatment by 50 percent-- the five-year financing means the sewer rate increase would be temporary. The capacity improvement is being required by the Ohio EPA to help improve lake water quality by eliminating stormwater discharges into Lake Erie.