Medford's potential sewer plant changes could cost residents more per month

MEDFORD, Ore. – On Thursday, Medford’s City Council will decide whether to approve a $300 million bond to upgrade the city’s wastewater treatment plant.

“Everyone who pays a sewer bill to either the City of Medford or to Rogue Valley Sewer Services is part of this facility,” said public works director John Vial. “All those ratepayers will see an increase here in the future to pay for this expansion.”

Vial says if approved, these upgrades will cost Medford residents more per month on their sewer bills.

Right now, sewer services in the city cost $9.79 per month.

“We’re thinking it’s probably going to be a little bit more than 30 dollars per month per single family residence so it’s a significant increase,” Vial said when discussing the potential rate increase.

Vial says these upgrades are not optional if the city wants to stay out of civil and criminal trouble.

“I think everyone recognizes this is one of those have to do things,” Vial added.

Clean water from the sewage plant is put back into the Rogue River thanks to a permit given to the city by the Department of Environmental Quality.

That permit has recently changed. In order to stay within the permit requirements, Vial says the current facility needs to expand by 50 to 60%.

“We need to treat the effluent for a longer period of time,” Vial said. “We need more activity to treat the effluent that comes into the plant to make it cleaner.”

While the impact may go unnoticed by residents, Vial says it will have a positive impact on everyone in the Rogue Valley.

“We’re going to be in compliance with the law and we’re going to be in compliance with our permit but also what we get is a clean river,” Vial said. “We don’t want to be in a position where we’re doing any harm to the Rogue River. The Rogue River is something that we all love.”

Right now, the city doesn’t have financial assistance available to help residents pay for sewer bills.

The final decision about the sewer plant upgrades will be determined at Thursday’s City Council meeting.