Cities Approve Sewer Hikes, Weigh Infrastructure Plans

Several cities are weighing higher sewer costs or major wastewater investments to maintain and improve aging infrastructure. Grafton’s City Council approved a two-step sewer rate increase tied to a $10.55 million infrastructure project, while Spokane is considering a roughly $3 monthly increase for water, sewer and waste services. West Lafayette approved annual sewage-rate increases of 2% for four years and gave initial approval to an $85 million wastewater-treatment-plant expansion; the city also negotiated a 20% share of property-tax revenue from the SK hynix development district. In the Boston area, Cambridge’s council backed tighter limits on sewage overflows, supporting a plan estimated to cost nearly $1.3 billion, while advocates favor stricter limits that could cost substantially more.