City of Lebanon Authority to increase sewer rates, maintain water rates for ’26

This article was funded by LebTown donors as part of our Civic Impact Reporting Project.

Starting in April, City of Lebanon Authority (CoLA) customers will see a 4.2% increase in their sewer base charge as well as an increase in their consumption charge.

The increases mean larger households that use 100,000 gallons per year for wastewater disposal will pay $76 more, or $778, while households that use 48,000 gallons per year will see their bills increase by $40 to $467. Very small users will pay $18 more, or $276, according to a resolution adopted by the CoLA board at its recent meeting.

CoLA’s sewer bills reflect two charges — a fixed base charge and a consumption charge that varies depending upon how much water customers use. The consumption charge of CoLA’s Lebanon City customers will go up 12.9% from $5.30 per 1,000 gallons to $5.98, according to CoLA’s water and sewer rate study for 2026.

Customers in municipalities that use CoLA’s sewer collection system — Heidelberg, North Lebanon, South Lebanon and West Lebanon townships — will see a 12.7% increase per 1,000 gallons in addition to the base increase.

The consumption charge for customers in municipalities that do not connect to CoLA’s sewer collection system but send waste directly to the authority’s treatment plant will increase 13.5% along with the base increase. These municipalities are Cleona and Cornwall boroughs and North Cornwall, West Cornwall and South Annville townships.

Water customers will not see any increase in their bills this year. That means, households using about 100,000 gallons per year will continue to pay $614; households that use 48,000 gallon per year, $395; and small water users, $260.

CoLA has budgeted almost $3.8 million for capital expenditures for the water system. About $2 million is slotted for watermain replacements. An additional $550,000 was budgeted for maintenance of CoLA’s underground Sand Hill reservoir.

Capital projects also are planned for CoLA’s sewer department, many of which are related to the ongoing wastewater treatment plant improvements project due to be completed in May. To minimize sewer rate increases, the board approved transferring almost $2.5 million from reserves to help fund operating, capital, and debt-service expenses. CoLA must begin making principal payments on its $27,934,000 PennVEST loan for the wastewater treatment plant upgrades.

In other business, the board named Tom Deitzler as CoLA executive director effective Jan. 1. Deitzler had been serving as deputy director and previously, as administration and finance director. Jon Beers, executive director until Jan. 1, was appointed general consultant to the authority.

Read More: Jon Beers to leave position as City of Lebanon Authority director at year end

The board tabled the award of a contract to replace a 2,995-foot water main with 117 service lines on Guilford Street. That project is scheduled to begin May 1.

Also approved were payments for the wastewater treatment plant improvements project:

• Pact Two, general contracting, $450,005;
• Garden Spot Mechanical, mechanical, $40,470;
• Garden Spot Mechanical, HVAC, $199,617;
• Garden Spot Electric, electrical, $80,262.

The City of Lebanon Authority Board meets at 2311 Ridgeview Road, Lebanon, on the second Monday of each month at 3 p.m. The next meeting will be Monday, Jan. 12. These meetings are open to the public and do not require registration.