LORENA, Texas (KXXV) — “It is concerning that this bill in particular is going up as much as it is,” Lorena resident Sarah Reyes said.
People living in the city of Lorena are now paying 26% more for sewer services.
Our city manager told 25 News a company called Raftelis reviewed our community's sewage and recommended city council adjust the rates.
“These rates are directly a result of the city of Waco’s Bull Hide Treatment Plant expansion,” Lorena city manager Kevin Neal said. “We don't have any options to divert wastewater flow to any other locations, such as the Waco Central Plant,”
He told 25 News the increase is needed to help pay more than $53M in bonds for the Bull Hide expansion – and the project isn't even starting until Summer 2025.
“As a result of these costs, the city of Lorena has seen an 830% increase in our bill to treat sewer,” Neal said.
Neals told 25 News the city had been paying an average of $9,000 a month to provide sewer services.
But now, those costs have risen to around $82,000 a month.
“There is just no financial way that the city of Lorena could absorb that type of annual expense in our budget without passing on those costs to our ratepayers,” Neal said.
Some neighbors in our community are worried about paying their new bill.
Sarah Reyes has lived in our community for 10 years and tells me her bills keep getting more expensive.
“I am retired, and I am on a fixed income, so I have to really watch what I’m doing,” Reyes said. “Just having these basic bills going up is hard. It's almost as much as my electric bill now,”
The city says they are staggering the rates at 26% over the next three years. The change went into effect on October 1.
“In order for the city of Lorena to continue to be a growing community, we have to invest in infrastructure for the future of our community,” Neal said.
