The city’s engineering division is considering creating two new billing categories for food-oriented businesses such as commercial kitchens and restaurants.
According to an article in the Wisconsin State Journal, the city’s 55,000 residential users have been subsidizing the sewer rates charged to food establishments. The new idea is to charge restaurants, food kitchens, and food retailers higher rates because the effluent they put down their drains costs more to treat.
Restaurants and food establishments could be charged about $1,000 a year, phased in over three years, while residential rates could decrease slightly. If approved, the new rates could go into effect in early 2017.
