milford - Town officials are on the verge of adopting a proposal to revamp the sewage treatment facility within three years.

The project would cost about $900,000 and a phased-in sewer rate increase might begin this year and would eventually double from the current level.

Town council heard a recommendation Thursday from an engineer proposing the current lagoon system be expanded. The proposal would require adding about three or four more acres to the 10-acre tract where the town operates its lagoon system near CR 1250N.

The minimum sewer rate for a residence is about

$6 a month. Although the doubling of sewer rates within three years might be startling for some, other communities charge upward of three or four times as much, according to utility superintendent Dallas Winchester.

The upgrade is the first major change to the treatment facility since it was built in 1974. It currently processes about 140,000 gallons per day and has a capacity of about 185,000 gallons a day. With expansion, the new capacity would be 220,000 gallons per day.

Brian Houghton, engineer for Jones and Henry Engineers, Fort Wayne, described the proposal as an "attractive alternative" to building a mechanical treatment plan.

Expanding the lagoon would continue to provide an "ease of operation" without hiring any additional workers, he said.

A rate hike hasn't been made for at least 10 years.

But the need to expand stems from new requirements to limit ammonia nitrate levels. The town has not been granted a state permit for 12 years. The town was on the verge of meeting state demands until last year when the state increased its standards on ammonia.

The increased requirements are part of the Great Lakes Initiative, a cooperative effort between the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Indiana and 10 other states and Canada. The regional plan is an effort to improve water quality for all areas that flow into the Great Lakes.

Other small communities are also faced with the difficulty of meeting the ammonia requirements, Winchester said.

Winchester and town board president Robert Beers both suggested the rate be restructured to protect those on fixed incomes. Both said that would come by adjusting rates for major users.

Large users normally get a discounted rate, but that would be lessened, Winchester said.

The town has about 550 sewage customers.

The town will look at several funding options and Winchester said they will likely be able to use some funds from the Tax Increment Finance district.

Council member Doug Ruch asked what the next step might be 20 years from now if the town experiences more growth and new environmental regulations are added.

Houghton and Winchester said the next logical step would be a larger lagoon system and not a mechanical plant.

Houghton was instructed to set a meeting with the town and representatives of the Indiana Department of Environmental Management to review the draft permit and discuss the town's plans to ensure the proposal would meet state requirements.

The town is also preparing to ask for a rate study by Umbaugh and Associates of Plymouth. [[In-content Ad]]