Water Bill Credits Coming for Lake County Customers

Residents who saw a may soon get some relief as the result of a plan approved by the Village of Buffalo Grove and Lake County.

Many of Buffalo Grove’s Lake County residents can expect to see a credit on their next water bill, after some received record-high charges in September.

The increase was the result of a consumption-based billing plan that the village adopted earlier this year. Previously, residents were charged a flat rate of $60 each billing cycle, which was based on the assumption that they would use 7,500 gallons every month.

Under the new billing system, sanitary sewer service is billed at the same rate of $4 per 1,000 gallons consumed, but the rate is charged for the entire volume of water metered at the residence.

While the Village of Buffalo Grove determines how the billing is done, the rates paid for sanitary sewer service are established by the Lake County Board, which has not increased the rate since March 2010.

When the village adopted the new billing system, officials believed there would be a cap on charges during the summer months, when residents use more water to fill pools and water lawns. Lake County officials questioned whether the cap applied to municipal users, and the .

“The village has long enjoyed a positive working relationship with the county, and it is based on our mutual respect that this resolution was accomplished,” Village President Jeff Braiman said in a statement issued Thursday by the village.

Village and county officials have agreed to apply a summer sewer cap for this summer’s billing cycle to Buffalo Grove customers in an effort to align the sanitary sewer rate structure with actual system demand, net of irrigation and outdoor water consumption.

As a result, summer sewer charges will not exceed 110 percent of the average amount of water used between September 2010 and May 2011. Charges will be calculated separately for each residential meter. Residents who paid more than that rate will see credits on their next water bill.

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As a result of the credits, Village Manager Dane Bragg said it is possible that some, but not many, residents will see a zero balance on their next bill, which will be sent in November. Officials have not yet determined whether the cap will be instituted again for water used next summer.

Buffalo Grove collects and remits 100 percent of the fees to Lake County under the terms of a sanitary sewer agreement established in 1972. During the first half of 2011, the change in the billing method resulted in a reduction of more than $500,000 in sewer treatment fees paid to Lake County by village residents.

“Maintaining a positive long term contractual relationship for sanitary sewer service is essential between the county and the village, and I appreciate the frank and open dialogue with President Jeff Braiman to come to a mutually agreeable resolution on this issue,” Lake County Board President David Stolman said in a statement.