It appears sewer and water charges in Oxford Township’s two manufactured/mobile home communities, Lake Villa and Parkhurst, will be increasing in a few months.
Township officials are planning to increase the Residential Equivalent Unit (REU) assignment factor for manufactured/mobile homes from 0.60 to 0.85.
However, because Lake Villa and Parkhurst own and maintain all the water delivery infrastructure (i.e. pipes) inside their respective parks, they will each be given a 17.8 percent bulk user discount to help offset their costs, which lowers their REU assignment to 0.70.
‘If the water main breaks on Drahner Road, Oakland County’s going to come out there and fix that. That is built in into the rates for Oxford Township,? explained Engineer Jim Sharpe, of the Rochester Hills-based Giffels-Webster Engineers. ‘If a water main breaks in Lake Villa, Lake Villa’s responsible for that. The county does do that.?
An REU is a way to equate different water and sewer users to single family homes, which are used as the standard.
The single family residence with its value of 1 REU is the basis around which all other facilities? water consumption and sewer usage is estimated. An average single family home in the township uses 200 gallons of water per day or 1 REU.
In terms of dollars and cents, the proposed REU assignments mean Lake Villa and Parkhurst residents? quarterly sewer bills would increase from $37.80 to $44.10.
In comparison, single family residences in the township pay $63 per quarter for sewer services.
Lake Villa and Parkhurst residents will not see an increase in water bills due to the REU change because those charges are based on actual consumption.
However, because they receive treated water from township wells, Parkhurst residents pay the capital charge to help retire the township $10.7 million water bond debt incurred during the building of two treatment plants and a new water tower.
Currently, each Parkhurst resident pays $19.20 per quarter ($76.80 annually) to help retire the bond debt.
Under the new discounted REU assignment, they would pay $22.40 per quarter ($89.60 annually).
Single family residences hooked up to the township water system pay $32 per quarter ($128 annually) in capital charges.
Lake Villa residents don’t pay the bond debt charge because although the township owns their wells, which are separate, the park’s not receiving treated water as it’s not hooked up to the township-wide system.
Sharpe stressed that future manufactured/mobile home parks built in the township do not automatically get the 17.8 percent bulk user discount.
‘You don’t necessarily have to give that to everyone,? he said.
For example, if a future manufactured/mobile home park connects to township water and wants the county to own and operate its infrastructure, then its units would each be counted as 0.85 REU.
Township officials are also expected to adopt new REU assignments for facilities that previously had none.
These facilities include day care centers (with meals/0.06 REU per student and without meals/0.04 REU per student), fire stations (1 REU), group homes (0.30 REU per bed), landscape nurseries (1 REU per structure) and public golf courses (1 REU per nine holes).
In order to adopt the new REU schedule, the township must amend its water and sewer ordinances.
Officials will conduct a first reading at their Wednesday, May 14 meeting.