Frequently Asked Questions
What is PACE 10?
It's a 10-year, $530 million wastewater improvement program to stop sewer overflows, meet regulatory mandates, and help area waterways improve to meet Clean Water Act requirements.
How did we get in this situation?
When KUB acquired the system from the City in 1987, it was underfunded and needed a lot of work.
KUB focused on three major initiatives:
- Upgrading treatment plants (major upgrades completed in the early 1990s)
- Eliminating combined storm sewer and sanitary sewer (completed 1998)
- Inspecting, rehabilitating, and upgrading the collection system (ongoing)
From the time it acquired the wastewater system in 1987 until it launched the PACE 10 program in October 2004, KUB invested more than $140 million in improvements to the system.
For the several years just before PACE 10, KUB was spending $1 million a month on improvements. Then regulators intervened here, as they have in many other cities. With PACE 10's accelerated improvement schedule, KUB now spends $1 million a week on wastewater system improvements.
Will PACE 10 clean up our streams?
It will help, but the EPA says rainfall runoff is the leading cause of water pollution. That's why PACE 10 also offers simple tips you can use to help protect waterways.
I pay taxes, so why did you raise wastewater rates for improvements?
No tax dollars support KUB services. KUB's services are funded only by ratepayer dollars.
Why is my wastewater bill more than my water bill?
Wastewater rates are higher than water rates because it is more expensive to collect and treat wastewater than to purify and deliver drinking water. The wastewater industry is highly regulated, and wastewater rates reflect the cost of constructing, operating, and maintaining the wastewater collection system and treatment plants.
What is the Sewer Improvement or Contribution In Aid of Construction Charge?
If you are a residential KUB wastewater customer, your sewer bill may include a sewer improvement or Contribution In Aid of Construction (CIAC) charge in addition to a user charge.
The sewer improvement charge and the CIAC charge help pay for major facility expansions and improvements to serve you. The user charge funds remaining capital costs and helps operate and maintain KUB's four wastewater treatment plants and more than 1200 miles of sewer lines. The user charge also pays for engineering and laboratory services to ensure that discharged water meets all state and federal standards.
Commercial and industrial customers may pay an additional charge for extra-strength wastes. This puts the financial burden of treating difficult industrial wastes on the businesses that generate them, not on residential customers.
How can I hold my wastewater bill down?
Wastewater charges are based on your actual water usage. Conserving water saves both on water and wastewater charges. Use less water to lower your wastewater bill, and
conserve energy to lower your overall bill.
Click here for water conservation tips.
Will wastewater system improvements fix the drainage problem in my back yard?
No, that's a stormwater issue, not a wastewater problem. The City manages the stormwater system to control drainage and flooding.
Why does it take so long to repave roads after sewer work?
Our sewer improvement projects involve several steps to reach final paving restoration.
Step 1: Contract crews repair road cuts on a short-term basis immediately after construction work, using gravel or temporary asphalt to keep traffic flowing. We also use temporary materials to allow time to test the new sewer pipes. Depending on test results, we may have to dig again to make adjustments.
Step 2: After sewer lines pass inspection, paving crews return within two to four weeks to firm up existing repairs. That provides a better temporary surface for driving and prepares the road for final paving.
Step 3: [occurs six to 12 months after construction]: Contract crews return to place final topping on the cut to provide a permanent riding surface.
