City Increasing Water, Wastewater Tap Fees

MOUNT VERNON, February 13, 2023 – The City of Mount Vernon is raising its water and
wastewater tap fees for the first time in five years, effective Saturday, Feb. 18, 2023. These fees
affect only those residents and businesses tapping into the City’s water and wastewater systems
for the first time, not existing customers.
New customers can avoid the higher rates by submitting a permit application no later than noon on
Friday, Feb. 17 by visiting the City’s website, www.mountvernonohio.org, or by visiting the
Engineering Department in City Hall at 40 Public Square, Mount Vernon.
At 12:01 a.m. on Saturday, Feb. 18, the City’s water tap capacity fee will change from $550 to
$3,000 for a standard 5/8-inch meter. In addition, the wastewater capacity fee will go from $825 to
$2,000 for a standard 5/8-inch meter.
On Feb. 2, 2023, the City’s Utilities Commission voted to raise various fees after reviewing multiple
recommendations from consultant Mark Ruffner of K.E. McCartney & Associates, Inc., Mansfield,
as well as fee and cost reviews conducted internally by consultant Emily Platt and City Utilities
staff. The Utilities Commission consists of Safety-Service Director Richard Dzik; Public Utilities
Director Aaron Reinhart; Engineer Brian Ball, PE; City Council Person Tammy Woods, and
commission members Jessi Busenburg and Mike Miller.
The last time any of these fees were increased was in 2018. The annual inflation rate at that time
was 1.9 percent, whereas in 2022 the annual inflation rate was 6.5 percent. With substantial
changes in the market, and more changes occurring daily, it is necessary that the City ensure
costs for services are up to date and accurate.
A tap fee for new customers and new development consists of three components:

1. Permit Application Fee

This fee covers the specific administrative, material and software costs for the
Engineering Department, which is in charge of water and wastewater tap fee permit
reviews, processing, communications and documentation.

2. Material Costs

There are many materials needed when a new water or wastewater tap is to be
installed, such as water meter pit and lid, copper service line, elbows, wastewater
tapping saddles, gravel backfill, track hoe, as well as the labor of the Distribution and
Collections crews.

3. Capacity Fee

The capacity fee is allocated directly to the water or wastewater plant maintenance
and improvement funds. With this fee a new customer is paying directly for

Page 2 of 2

improvements necessary to ensure appropriate system capacity as new users are
added to the utility system. Another way to view this fee is as an insurance policy. A
new user is paying into the fund in order to assure the plant can be maintained and
improved to provide the highest-quality product and service.

If you are interested in Water or Wastewater service, please contact the Engineering
Department at 740-393-9528 to speak with a representative and determine if you are within
appropriate distance of a public water or wastewater line. You can apply for Water and
Wastewater Tap Permits online via our website, www.mountvernonohio.org, or by calling or visiting
the Engineering Department.
Access to clean water and public wastewater are basic human rights. The City strives to provide the
best products and services in its public utilities to uphold the highest standard of public health for all
community members.