Step One Of Sewage Fee Hike Approved

RANCHO CORDOVA (CBS13) - Angry homeowners are protesting a proposal to triple sewer fee in the Sacramento region for nearly 1 million people.

Hundreds turned out today at a public forum being held in Rancho Cordova to discuss the plan to increase the fees to protect the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta from pollution. 

On Thursday night, the Regional Water Board voted to adopt regulations to clean up the water quality, which would have the potential to triple sewer bills for residents.  But, this is step one in the long process to do so.

The Local Sewer District would be the group that would have to figure out the technology to make the changes.  This approval is step one in the process to move forward with the fee hike.

The Sacramento Regional County Sanitation District estimates that sewer bills for 1.3 million residents could jump from $20 to $61.50 per month.

So many people showed up to the forum, organizers had to set up a second overflow room.  But the additional space was not enough and some people were turned away.

The proposal comes in the wake of the new Clean Water Act permit that could put new limits on wastewater dumping in the vital delta.

Many residents said they questioned the science behind the new regulations.  Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson was also there and questioned the timing of the increase.

"Our region was one of the hardest hit, the worst hit regions in the country.  And we are trying to recover from that," said Johnson. "We certainly have an ailing economy and this certainly impacts us in a very adverse way."

Some supporters of the proposal also spoke out saying our clean water supply and food chain are at risk.  And another water official got up and said 'Sacramento needs to be a leader and not a lagger' on this issue saying a number of other water treatment plants have already taken on these new regulations.