Tuscarawas County, Ohio (WJER) - Customers served by the Tuscarawas County Metropolitan Sewer District will be paying slightly more next year. 

The Tuscarawas County Commissioners recently approved rate increases of 2 percent for sewer and 2.5 percent for water.   

District Director Mike Jones says he looks at long-term capital improvement projects about 10 years out when determining how rates should be adjusted to bring in enough revenue.  

“With the sewer district, the one component that we needed to take a look at this year was we will have additional debt coming on as it relates to our Sandyville Wastewater Plant project, so we do have a loan component to that we’ll have to start paying in 2019,” he says.

Jones says the rates also have to account for inflation, salaries and other department expenses.
                   
“It’s basically a usual and customary increase to cover normal operating maintenance expenditures that we anticipate,” he says.

The increases go into effect January 1st and will bring the flat rate for sewer bills to $39 a month.   

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