City also discovers that many residents and businesses may have been overcharged for their sewer use fees over the last six years
By RANDY SEAVER | Editor
Biddeford residents and businesses who pay either a monthly or quarterly sewer user fee can expect to see a sharp increase in the amount they pay to help offset regular sewer maintenance and upgrades throughout the city.
According to interim City Manager Cornell Knight, customers can expect to see an increase of 31.2 percent on their bills.
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Additionally, Knight said many sewer fee users were overcharged on their bills over the last five years.
During his regular report to the city council on Tuesday, Knight said the city’s FY 2024 audit revealed ongoing issues with sewer billing that date back to 2019.
The issue was not noticed by the city or its independent auditors, Knight told the Gazette during a previous interview.
According to Knight, the city will refund a total of $1.35 million in overcharges. The city will restore the overages either through a direct refund or a credit on future sewer fees.
Interest will be paid by the city for overcharged amounts.
The increase comes from a council decision in 2025 that raised the fees by 20 percent to help offset major sewer upgrade projects. That increase was never passed onto consumers because the city was in transition of how it is handling sewer billing and invoicing.
Earlier this year, the newly elected city council approved an additional 11.2 percent increase.
The city last year enacted a new sewer building procedure that is now handled by Maine Water Company, a private utility that provides water to the Biddeford-Saco area.
Maine Water has no responsibility in the rate increases, and Knight said the city has hired a temporary clerical position to assist customers with new billing questions.
During a previous interview, Mayor Liam LaFountain told the Gazette that both the sewer increases and previous overcharges were “unpleasant” but that he and the council are committed to identifying previous problems and developing plans to ensure the problems are resolved and will be prevented in the future.
“This is the reality we have been faced with, and it’s not an easy situation for any of us,” LaFountain said. “We are tackling this issue head on, and we will continue to develop strategies that will address past deficiencies and benefit the city as we move forward.”
Biddeford sewer user fee payers will soon be receiving a letter that explains the overcharges and an FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) sheet to help explain the overages and the rate increase.
The city uses a “tiered system” in calculating sewer fees. Those who use more water pay more for their sewer fees.
Knight told the council on Tuesday that customers who use the “minimum amount” of water will likely not be impacted by the overage billing issues.
A copy of both the letter and FAQ sheet can be viewed or downloaded below.
VIEW | DOWLOAD CITY FAQ re Sewer Fees
VIEW | DOWNLOAD LETTER BEING SENT TO SEWER FEE USERS
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