By By JAMES COLLINS / Niles Daily Star
NILES -- Due to the combined sewer overflow project and decreased water consumption, the Board of Public Utilities approved the borrowing money from its electric division to compensate for a shortfall in its wastewater division.
The borrowing will take place on an as needed basis and will be paid back with no interest when the wastewater division is able to do so.
This year's combined sewer overflow project in downtown Niles is a larger project than usual and is costing the department about $600,000.
At a meeting Monday, Niles Utilities Department manager James Lehmkuhl indicated that this shortfall would likely result in a sewer rate increase. He said there has not been a sewer rate adjustment since 1997.
In other business:
The overbilling occurred in the late 1990s when Tyler was being incorrectly billed based on their water consumption over a period of about four years.
A bid was accepted for the new water tower to be located on Carberry Road for $579,300 from Caldwell Tankers.
The water treatment plant, booster station and piping work are among the projects that are still awaiting bids.