ECUA Approves Rate Increases

August 30, 2014

Emerald Coast Utilities Authority customers will see rates increases on their bills after  October 1.

The ECUA board has approved a 3 percent increase in water and wastewater rates. The board also approved a 3.5 percent, or 66 cent, increase in the sanitation rate, a direct pass-along of increased tipping fees at the Escambia County owned Perdido Landfill.

The water and wastewater increase will be used to cover the cost of over $50 million in capitol improvement projects.

NorthEscambia.com file photo.

Comments

6 Responses to “ECUA Approves Rate Increases”

  1. stillworking on September 2nd, 2014 10:49 pm

    Not surprising, but that does not make it any easier. They sure like to sell the “green idea”. Remember they went to once a week pickup to save $. So we are pretty much back to the twice a week rate and then some, for less service, more overhead and who knows what else. Customers front the $ for improvements, just like we do for gulf power, then end up paying more anyway after the so called improvements.
    They need to do more with less, just like us people that work harder for less.

  2. well on August 31st, 2014 8:57 pm

    And they save so much money from switching to CNG that they only need a 3.5 percent increase yearly.

  3. Nathalie Bowers, ECUA Public Information on August 31st, 2014 8:07 am

    For Bob C-
    William is correct. Recyclables were going to West Florida Recycling until their closure in late April. Also, ECUA converted the sanitation fleet to Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) in late 2012.

  4. William on August 30th, 2014 10:29 am

    >> do not understand why ECUA is loading all the recyclable things onto trucks and driving it up to Montgomery, Alabama and other places out of Florida.

    It’s only going to Montgomery. Long story short, it was all going to West Florida Recycling in Pensacola, but they went bankrupt. You can’t build a local recycling facility overnight, so Montgomery was the viable option that still nets ECUA a small profit after expenses.

    ECUA and Escambia County entered into an agreement that will lead to the construction of a recycling facility in Escambia County, with more profit for ECUA and local jobs.

    More details in previous stories:

    http://www.northescambia.com/2014/05/ecua-now-hauling-recyclables-to-montgomery-for-a-profit

    http://www.northescambia.com/2014/07/escambia-county-ecua-reach-potential-recycling-garbage-agreement

  5. Bob C on August 30th, 2014 9:54 am

    I do not understand why ECUA is loading all the recyclable things onto trucks and driving it up to Montgomery, Alabama and other places out of Florida.
    How the heck can that save money with the cost of diesel fuel, employee usage, extra maintenance, management of long haul operations and other expenses we the public do not know about.

    Sure seems the idea of recovery of methane gasses at our Perdido landfill is a great leap forward in making money instead of tossing it to Alabama.
    Why does Escambia County not have their own in-county operation to process recyclable materials, about 60-70% of what is thrown away,.?

    Does the public have any input at ECUA meetings of their board.?
    If so, when and where do they meet.?
    Someone had said that the ECUA board meets but does not take public comment seriously.

    What are the Capital Improvement projects proposed.?

  6. Puddin on August 30th, 2014 4:07 am

    I would have sworn we had a tax and rate increase a few years ago to pay for the same thing? We were paying, in advance, for improvements to come. Maybe Im not remembering right.