Council drops the $40 monthly charge on 64 temporary septic accounts, most in Queen Creek Ranchettes and Terra Ranch

Sixty-four Queen Creek utility customers will stop paying a $40 monthly charge tied to their septic tanks after the Town Council voted to end a temporary septic program that had been on the books since about 2008, the Queen Creek Independent reported Wednesday.

The council approved the change 6-0 at its Nov. 4 meeting, with Council Member Travis Padilla absent, according to the report. The charge ends Jan. 27.

A program few knew about

The program covered homes that stayed on temporary septic systems rather than tying into the town's sewer. Most of the accounts are in the Queen Creek Ranchettes and Terra Ranch subdivisions, according to a town staff report cited by the Independent.

The arrangement grew out of talks between the town and property owners in areas where Maricopa County required sewer lines because of lot size, the report said.

Deputy Town Manager and Chief Financial Officer Scott McCarty told the council a sewer main had been built in that part of town years ago on the expectation that nearby homes would eventually connect, and that vacant lots there would never be put on septic at all.

Staff came across the program while reworking the town's water and sewer rates, McCarty said. Dropping the fee will cost the town about $31,000 a year in revenue.

Timing with the new water fee

The Jan. 27 end date matches the start date the town has proposed for a new water resource fee, which the council is scheduled to vote on Nov. 18 along with other water and wastewater rates. That fee would help pay for the Harquahala basin water the town bought in 2025 and this year.

Sources

yourvalley.net