Sewer Fund

The primary responsibility of the Department of Public Works - Sewer Division is to collect and treat sewage from the City of Montpelier and part of the Town of Berlin. A combination of user fees and sewer benefit charges fund the Sewer Division.

Sewer Division Responsibilities

The Sewer Division maintains sanitary sewer collection mains and pumping stations, installs new service connections, and repairs clogged or broken sewer lines in Montpelier. This division is also responsible for the maintenance and operation of the Waste Water Treatment Plant, which has undergone major upgrades to become a regional treatment facility for septage and leachate treatment. The upgrades are in response to the required state and federal environmental standards which improve the quality of life in Montpelier and the State of Vermont. In the coming years, the Department of Public Works will focus on additional operations and maintenance of the Combined Sewer Overflow (CSO) to include the stormwater maintenance component of the wastewater discharge permit.

The Montpelier City Council, sitting as the Water and Sewer Commissioners, determines sewer rates. Sewer rates are reviewed annually in the spring. Utility rates may be adjusted annually due to increases in maintenance, chemical, fuel, electricity costs, and debt payments. New stormwater management requirements also add operating costs to the Sewer Fund. 

Sewer Benefit Charge

A sewer benefit charge of $.01 per $100 of property value is dedicated to the repayment of bonded indebtedness. A sewer separation benefit charge of $.07 per $100 of property value is dedicated to paying off debt and project costs associated with the Combined Sewer Overflow (CSO) separations. The objective of these projects is to divert stormwater from going into sanitary sewer lines reducing a major source of potential pollution for our City’s waterways. These sewer benefit charges are expected to remain the same for FY18 which begins July 1, 2017.

Information about the proposed 2018 Fiscal Year Sewer Fund Budget can be found online in the Annual Budget section. For Budget questions, please contact the Finance Department at 223-9520. If you have a concern or question about your quarterly sewer bill, please contact the City Clerk’s Office at 223-9500, Option 2.

Additional Information

For more information, please visit the Water and Sewer page.