Lucas County Sanitary Engineering Director Jim Shaw on Tuesday presented a proposal to increase water and wastewater charges for county customers, recommending a 4% annual rate increase for four years beginning Oct. 1, 2025.

Shaw told the Board of Lucas County Commissioners at a public hearing that the proposal is meant to fund aging infrastructure, preventive maintenance, and debt service for capital projects. “I don’t like to come stand before you and say we need a water and sewer rate increase unless we really need one,” Shaw said.

The proposal presented uses 1,000 cubic feet (about 7,500 gallons) as a comparative billing unit and would raise rates in four equal annual steps. Shaw also proposed increases to trunk capacity fees — described in the presentation as the per-gallon-per-day fee charged to new connections — and showed a recommendation to raise those fees from $200 to $400 for one category and from $1,000 to $1,200 for sanitary sewer capacity. He said the Jerusalem Township district fee (established in February 2005) would change from its current level to roughly $113.25–$120 per quarter under the proposed schedule.

Shaw stressed preventive maintenance and technology investments as drivers of the request. He noted grant funding and state loan programs (OWDA, OPWC) the county uses to finance capital work but said operating revenue from rates must cover ordinary operations and upkeep. “Preventive maintenance is key,” he said, describing use of televising trucks and a rapid-assessment sounding system to reduce larger repair costs.

Commissioners questioned and discussed the proposal. Commissioner Gerken said rate changes are difficult but necessary and praised prior regional water work that has moderated costs for customers. “These are moderate increases at a time when people... are paying more,” Gerken said, and described the presentation as a reasonable approach to sustain service and protect water quality in the Maumee River watershed.

Shaw said the county is not asking the board to take action at the hearing; the meeting was the first of three public hearings on the proposal. Two additional hearings were announced: June 17 at 11 a.m. in the commissioners’ chambers and June 24 at 6 p.m. in Springfield Township. Shaw and staff will return to those hearings to gather public comment before any formal vote or ordinance is sought.

The presentation included background figures on system size and condition, a summary of recent federal infrastructure funding, the enterprise-fund structure that keeps water/wastewater revenues separate from the general fund, and sample bills at 1,000, 700 and 500 cubic-foot usage levels for comparison. Shaw also noted that a prior multi-year rate resolution was adopted in 2015 and implemented through Jan. 1, 2019, and that no countywide increase has been implemented since 2019.

No formal action was taken at the hearing; the board opened public comment and heard no speakers who signed up. The sanitary engineer’s slides and supporting materials will be available to the public and staff indicated the county will continue to seek grant funding where possible to offset costs.