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Water Committee recommends reading own meters
Updated: December 18, 2011 9:37AM
Sometimes it’s just easier, and cheaper, to do things yourself. Such is the case, it seems, with the task of reading Burr Ridge’s water meters.
For 10 years, DuPage County has charged the village 50 cents a read to read Burr Ridge’s water meters. With that cost set to increase significantly next year, members of the Burr Ridge Water Committee will recommend that the village hire two part-time employees to do the job instead.
“It makes total sense to do it this way,” Village Administrator Steve Stricker said.
Homes and businesses in Burr Ridge are served by three sewer systems, all of which collect usage information from water meters. Until now, all were read for 50 cents each. DuPage County recently informed the village that it will begin charging $1 for meters within the DuPage system and $2 per read for meters in the Flagg Creek and Cook County sewer systems.
“That’s substantial. It’s a substantial increase,” Stricker said.
Rather than pay the higher rates, the committee will recommend that two part-time employees take on the job. Burr Ridge will then charge DuPage and Flagg Creek $1.25 for reads of meters within those systems.
Stricker said 1,925 meters fall within the DuPage sewer system and 719 are in Flagg Creek. Another 1,405 meters are in the Cook County system, which is run by the village.
“That’s our sewer system,” Stricker said.
The committee’s plan would limit the increased cost to the village, Stricker said. By allowing DuPage to continue reading meters, the village would expect to see the cost increase from $9,000 to $28,410.
The proposed plan would come to about $11,581 annually, once the village collects fees for reading DuPage and Flagg Creek meters. Stricker said that number does not include the cost of uniforms for the new employees and a one-time expense to purchase a second $6,500 meter-reading device.
Because meter reading takes place only once every other month, the new part-time employees would also provide extra help with other tasks, said Director of Public Works Paul May.
Stricker said the plan, if approved by the Village Board on Dec. 12, will require a new intergovernmental agreement with DuPage County.
