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Understanding Sewer Rates

Several hundred utilities provide wastewater/sewage disposal service to consumers throughout Indiana. While many of these utilities are operated by municipal governments, others are operated by other governmental units (such as conservancy districts and regional sewer districts) or by private companies or investors.

Sewer rates throughout Indiana and the United States have risen in recent years for a variety of reasons including:

  • Federal environmental mandates
  • Aging infrastructure and the need for capital improvements
  • Rising costs for operations and maintenance (equipment, personnel, insurance, electricity, etc.)
  • Consumer growth and higher demand

Sewer rates range widely among utilities and depend on numerous factors (including economies of scale, access to loans and other factors listed above). However, the trend of rising rates for all types of wastewater utilities is expected to continue for the foreseeable future. In most cases, the costs for processing wastewater have outpaced the costs for processing drinking water.

10/2021