Bowling Green, Ohio
The Northwestern Water and Sewer District Board of Trustees passed the 2021 budget at today’s meeting and approved a zero percent rate increase – that’s No increase for District rates. Depending on location, some customers may see increases if their treatment provider raises their rates. They also approved a $30 million capital budget that includes $19 million in total water projects and $11 million invested into our wastewater network across The District’s five-county service area.
“Economic development is the biggest reason there are no rate increases this year. Overall water usage was flat, but a single local industry, that started additional production this year, caused a significant increase in water use. It’s important to note that past decisions by our Board of Trustees attracted these types of industries, and it’s paying off now. Additionally, our staff has taken multiple steps to safely maintain quality water and sewer services throughout the pandemic. The District team was able to reduce expenses and curtail expenditures during this challenging year.” according to District President, Jerry Greiner.
While the full impact of COVID-19 has yet to be assessed, it was not a significant impact on revenue.
Looking Forward to 2021
The District will construct a new 1.5-million-gallon water tower in Lake Township. This elevated tank will serve Walbridge, Rossford, parts of Northwood, and townships in northern Wood County. The District will also build several new waterlines including a rural waterline southwest of Bowling Green to enhance water quality and flow. A new waterline will be constructed from Weston, west to the Village of McClure, and extend north across the Maumee River to provide water service to Liberty Center in Henry County.
Maintaining our wastewater infrastructure is the goal for 2021. Major sewer projects include new pump stations at Ford Road in Perrysburg Township and Willowbend in Middleton Township. There will also be continued work in upgrading the sewer system in McComb and the Village of Weston.
The Northwestern Water and Sewer District is a rate-based utility, serving more than 20,000 customers in five counties across Northwest Ohio. The District provides over 5.4 million gallons a day of clean drinking water and treats hundreds of thousands of gallons of wastewater to improve the water quality of our lakes and streams. The District started operations in 1994.
Follow The District @NWWSD on Facebook and Twitter