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YOUNGSTOWN - A double-digit increase for Youngstown water customers is coming in January on top of proposed 14% annual sewer rate hikes for the next five years for city residents.
Water Commissioner Harry L. Johnson III said Wednesday at city council's public utilities committee meeting that bulk water rate increases from the Mahoning Valley Sanitary District - 17.43% starting Jan. 1, 2.1% in January 2028 and 7.92% in January 2029 - are forcing the city to pass along a part of that to its customers.
Johnson said the figures are still being finalized, but it will be for two years with a double-digit increase starting in January with a lesser amount in 2028. That would cover about one-third of the MVSD increases, Johnson said.
Johnson said the preliminary increases were 15% in January and then 9% in 2028, "but we're not there yet. It may be a little less or a little bit more. I want to be accurate because we're also looking at additional revenue streams."
The final rate will be decided in about two weeks, Johnson said.
The MVSD increases will cost $3.7 million to Youngstown over the three years, Johnson said.
Also, the city has about $1.2 million in annual debt service to pay for the next 20 years for other projects in addition to other increased costs, Johnson said.
In Youngstown, the water commissioner and mayor set the water rates. The last increase was in 2014.
Johnson said the MVSD increases to pay for capital improvement projects at its facility leaves Youngstown with no other choice but to charge its customers more money.
In addition to Youngstown, the city provides water for Austintown, most of Boardman and other communities at a 40% markup.
Johnson said despite increased costs since the last rate increase in 2014, the city water department has realized a lot of savings to avoid a hike for customers.
"We were able to absorb a lot of those costs, but with the MVSD increase, it's more difficult," Johnson said.
The average water customers in the city pay about $38 a month for the typical consumption of 5,000 gallons, and those charged the 40% markup pay an average of $53.20 a month.
This comes as council is mulling a 14% annual sewer rate increase for five years recommended by the administration to pay for about $404 million in federally mandated wastewater improvements.
The study was done by Arcadis, an international firm that specializes in water and sewer analysis. Arcadis also conducted a 2024 study that resulted in the city increasing rates by 5% annually for four years, starting in 2025.
This new study would increase those 5% annual rate increases in 2027 and 2028 by an additional 9%, to bring them to 14%. It also proposes 14% annual increases for 2029, 2030 and 2031 or else the city will be unable to pay the debt service on $404 million in wastewater improvements it has either done or is planning as part of a federal consent decree.
Councilman Mike Ray, D-4th Ward and public utilities committee chairman, said Wednesday of the proposed rate hike, first proposed Oct. 22: "This is a reality to do that, but we also know we need to look at where we can save or reduce" other city expenses before he can approve the increases.
Ray said constituents have told him they cannot afford other expenses, such as electricity and food, so it's going to be difficult to force them to pay these large increases for wastewater.
Ray said city officials need to look at everything in the budget, and mentioned overtime, questioning if it's "need or is it greed? Maybe we're going to have a top 10 list every week at finance (committee meetings) - the need or greed list. And we're going to review who's working, how we're managing that because I think that's something we could do in the finance meetings."
An average wastewater customer in the city discharges about 500 cubic feet of wastewater a month.
The current monthly rate at that amount is $87.20.
Under the 5% rate increase structure, it is supposed to go up to $91.56 a month in 2027. Under a 14% increase, it would be $99.41 a month.
Under the existing 5% increase, it is supposed to go to $96.14 a month in 2028. Under a 14% increase, that would be $113.30 a month.
In the scenario with 14% annual increases, the monthly charge for an average customer would be $129.16 a month in 2029, $147.24 in 2030 and $167.86 in 2031 - almost double what is currently paid in a five-year period.
An average city customer is currently paying $1,046.40 in sewer rates a year. If the 14% annual increases are imposed, that same customer would pay $2,014.32 for wastewater discharge in 2031.
Council's public utilities committee forwarded the rate request to its finance committee, which is meeting Nov. 17. The full council meets after the finance committee meeting.
Ray, who is also chairman of the finance committee, said it will be considered on Nov. 17, but it is up to the legislative body's members whether it wants to approve the rate increases.
The city's current annual debt payment for the first phase of the federally mandated work is $5 million. That is for $74 million worth of improvements to the city's wastewater treatment plant.
But with two much more expensive projects, one that started last year and another that will begin early next year, that annual debt service increases to $27 million annually starting in 2032 and will be that amount for 20 years.
PROJECTS
The federal Environmental Protection Agency had originally ordered the city in 2002 to do $310 million worth of work, but it was negotiated down to $160 million in 2014 with the expectation it would be finished in 20 years. But all of the work will end up costing $404 million, according to the Arcadis study.
The city plans to have all of the work done by Sept. 29, 2032.
As part of the federal consent decree, the city hired Marucci & Gaffney Excavating Co. of Youngstown for $42.8 million for the first two phases of a four-part project to keep water from flowing into Mill Creek Park's Lake Glacier and Lake Cohasset.
The first two phases, which started in December, are to Lake Glacier, eliminating four of the 14 overflow lines. The project is replacing about 8,000 to 9,000 linear feet of sewer lines that range in size from 36 inches to 60 inches with a new 96-inch sewer line, as well as bridge work, river crossings, efforts to lower the lake and the relocation of utilities.
The project is supposed to be finished May 29, 2028.
The city plans a compressed schedule with the rest of the interceptor sewer work at the park with the third phase done by April 18, 2031, and the final part by Sept. 29, 2032. Those phases will eliminate 10 sewage overflow lines to Lake Cohasset.
That project was estimated to cost $47.7 million. It will now cost $102 million, according to the Arcadis study.
The city's initial agreement with the federal government in 2014 called for the construction of a 100-million-gallon-per-day wet weather facility. But the rising cost of the work and the disputed need for such a large system were the reasons why the city argued in a March 15, 2024, federal court motion to reopen the consent decree that requires it to make significant and expensive improvements to its wastewater system.
During lengthy negotiations between the city and the federal government, an agreement was reached to honor the city's request for the smaller facility. Judge Christopher A. Boyko of the U.S. District Court's Northern District of Ohio finalized the deal Oct. 9, 2025.
That project is expected to cost $228 million, according to the Arcadis study.
The wet weather facility includes seven total contracts with bids for the first phase to be opened Friday.
The city is able to pay the first phase out of its wastewater surplus, said Charles Shasho, deputy director of public works. That phase is spending up to $3,779,391.57 for the demolition of any buildings on the project's location on Gibson Street, in the area of Poland Avenue, as well as grading the site, removing pavement and installing security fencing.
The city also set aside $3.5 million for utility relocation.
At its Nov. 17 meeting, council will consider legislation related to the second and third phases of the wet weather facility project.
The second phase is estimated to cost up to $45 million and would build a 96-inch tunnel under the Mahoning River to provide additional upstream large sewer connectivity as well as replace a Crab Creek siphon that's about 100 years old, Shasho said.
One ordinance would authorize the board of control to borrow the money from the state and another to permit the board to advertise for bids and enter into contracts.
The third phase would cost up to $55 million for a screening and grit removal facility. Like the tunnel project, council is being asked to permit the board of control to borrow the money and enter into contracts for the work.
Bids for the tunnel are scheduled for February while the screening and grit removal facility bids are scheduled for April.