TUSTEN, NY—Sewer rates are going up in the Town of Tusten, at about $61 per quarter for a household with an average use rate of 55,553 gallons.

The board said the first bill reflecting the increased rate will be sent in April.

The sewer district on Main Street includes mostly businesses and apartments. “Commercial—you’re banging us,” a landlord in Narrowsburg told the Tusten town board last week. “And we’re in a terrible economy right now. I don’t understand why you singled us out. That to me is incredibly unfair.”

Recent changes to New York State sewer regulations are putting pressure on small towns, which must raise rates to cover the cost of infrastructure improvements. The town board passed a new sewage base rate of $125.50, which is $11.40 more than the current base rate. It includes a use rate of $8.88 per 1,000 gallons, which is also a new addition.

The new sewage rate was calculated from the options presented to the board in August by RCAP Solutions, an organization that assists communities with environmental services.

Supervisor Ben Johnson said rates must increase so that the town will be eligible for low-interest loans through the state.

“They’re not sure New York State will want to lend us money because they’re not sure we’ll be able to pay it back,” Johnson said.

The interim water and sewer superintendent explained why these sewer infrastructure changes are happening. “The states are putting a lot of requirements and limitations on the sewer since I got in the business 30 years ago,” he said. “It’s gotten ridiculous of what the states are requiring us to do, and it all comes back to the burden on the users.”

Councilmember Greg Triggs said, “We are not alone in these concerns. New York is full of water and sewer districts that started when ours did and are having huge infrastructure issues. I’m proud to be on a board addressing these issues.”