ALCOSAN Announces 2012 Rate Structure

The Allegheny County Sanitary Authority (ALCOSAN) announces that it will implement a seven percent rate increase for the 2012 calendar year which equates to an increase of $1.60 a month for customers.

Beginning January 1, ALCOSAN’s sewer rates will increase 28 cents to $4.32 per 1,000 gallons of water used and the quarterly customer service charge will be $9.07 which is an increase of 59 cents over the 2011 rate. A homeowner using 15,000 gallons of water per quarter will be charged $73.15, equaling $24.38 per month, by ALCOSAN. Consumers also should be aware that 78 of the 83 communities ALCOSAN serves place an additional charge on the ALCOSAN rates with proceeds earmarked for community-owned sewer line repair, replacement and maintenance.

"On behalf of the Board of Directors, we were unable to continue our goal of not raising rates," said Board Chairman State Rep. Harry Readshaw referring to no rate increase for 2011. "This rate increase was out of necessity due to the need to meet federal mandates to address sewer overflows," he said.

Readshaw also stressed that the public has an opportunity to understand more about those projects and their impacts on future rates by attending upcoming public meetings on the sewer overflow issue. While nine meetings have been held so far, three more meetings are scheduled. The meetings will be held November 14 at 10 a.m. at the Undercliff Fire Hall on Mount Royal Boulevard; and 5:30 at the Monroeville fire Department #4 on Northern pike in Monroeville.

The final meeting will be held November 15 meeting from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Heinz History Center with presentations repeating at 10:30 a.m., 1:30 p.m. and 3 p.m. Free parking is available at the Smallman and 15th Street lot. A light lunch will be available for those on their lunch break who want to take advantage of the opportunity to check out proposed plans.

All meetings are free and no reservations are required. For more information about the meetings, visit www.alcosan.org.

Located along the Ohio River on Pittsburgh’s Northside, ALCOSAN treats an average of 200 million gallons of wastewater daily representing treatment service from 320,000 customers in 83 communities including the City of Pittsburgh. ALCOSAN is not a county agency but a joint city-county authority operating under state guidelines receiving no tax monies with revenues generated solely by rates.

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