Members of the board of the Hamilton County Water and Wastewater Treatment Authority (WWTA) were told that the WWTA, the city of Chattanooga and the city of Rossville will have to pay the Tennessee American Water Company two cents per customer to find out monthly water consumption data.
That is used to compute the sewer bill.
The water company for decades has allowed the sewer bill to go on the water bill, but no longer.
The cost will be two cents per customer per month. Considering that the WWTA has 19,000 customers, that amounts to $4,560 per year.
And there also will be a cut off and cut on charge from the water company to the three governments.
The governments are having to pay Enco Utility Services $1.40 per customer for the sewer billing, which will be separate from the water bill.
Attorney Chris Clem said the governments only have a guarantee of three years that the water company agrees to provide the consumption data to the governments. There is an option for a one-year extension, but he said the water company could give notice after two and a half years that it plans to no longer provide the date at the three-year mark.
Louis Wright, board member, pointed out, "This is an additional cost to all of our ratepayers because Tennessee American has changed the game."