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Town of Washington floats idea of sewer rate hike

by | Sep 17, 2026

Washington Mayor Joe Whited announced at Monday's Town Council meeting that sewer rates may be going up again for town residents. "It’s our responsibility to make sure that public works systems are ... not relying on a subsidy from broader revenues that we could be using to invest in other things,” he said. (Photo/Luke Christopher)

Mayor says system operating ‘far into red’

Mayor Joe Whited said Monday that Town of Washington residents may see higher sewer bills in the coming months, citing inflation and years of the town’s water and sewer system operating in the red and relying on outside income to stay afloat. 

“I hate to be having this conversation here. Unfortunately, the inflation has really been what’s put us in this position,” Whited said at the Town Council’s monthly meeting. “We have done a very good job, I think, over the last eight years not only looking after the financial situation in town but also very actively managing the water and sewer system … we’re doing a lot of catch-up there

“It’s our responsibility to make sure that public works systems are … not relying on a subsidy from broader revenues that we could be using to invest in other things,” he continued.

The council voted to raise rates last year for water and sewer  — one of three times in about 15 years, Whited said — when the water system had reached a $33,000-a-year deficit.

The council faced backlash from The Inn at Little Washington, which brought in an attorney to argue the hike was unfair. Council member and chef-proprietor of the inn Patrick O’Connell was the only dissenting vote on the increase. 

The town’s water fund broke even this year for the first time in memory, Whited said, but the sewer fund remains “quite far into red.”

Whited did not cite any specific numbers and said he just wanted to alert the council and town residents. Final details will be presented later in the fall.

“We’ll be back with some details as we go into the October, November time frame to talk about what that would look like and what potential ratios that the council might want to consider for those changes,” Whited said. 

Meanwhile, Council member Brad Schneider is working on a long-term solution. Whited credited an aerator redesign Schneider oversaw with making the system “radically more efficient.” 

Now, Schneider is pricing a new equalization tank — a holding tank that evens out the flow of wastewater into the treatment system.

Schneider said, by his and Town Administrator Barbara Batson’s calculations, the new tank could save the town close to $220,000 over the next five years by allowing the town to “de-water sludge” on site rather than shipping wastewater to Remington, as it has been doing. 

“The way I’m approaching it is to get set up for the next 30 years,” Schneider said. “Then we’re going to shift over to the water system, and make improvements and upgrades there to set it up for the next 30 years.”

230th celebration planning

The Town of Washington will celebrate its 230th birthday on Nov. 10, and the council discussed upcoming events to mark the occasion. 

On Oct. 11, a classical guitar concert will be held at the Town Hall at 4 p.m., followed by refreshments. More information will be released soon. 

The council is also planning to host a picnic or block party in early November. 

Jeanne Goodine retires

It was announced Monday that Council member Jeanne Goodine will not seek reelection.  Goodine has served on the council since 2021. 

Thomas Bruce, who is running to replace Goodine, introduced himself at the meeting. All of the town races are uncontested. 

“This is a great honor to be able to serve,” he said. “If elected.”

Author

  • Ireland Hayes

    Ireland joined Foothills Forum as a full-time reporter in 2023 after graduating from the University of Georgia’s Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication with a degree in journalism and minor in music. As a student, she gained valuable experience in reporter and editor positions at The Red & Black, an award-winning student newspaper, and contributed to Grady Newsource and the Athens Banner-Herald. She spent three years as an editorial assistant at Georgia Magazine, UGA’s quarterly alumni publication, and interned with The Bitter Southerner.
    Growing up in a small town in Southeast Georgia, Ireland developed a deep appreciation for rural communities and the unique stories they have to tell. She completed undergraduate research on news deserts, ghost papers and the ways rural communities in Georgia are being forced to adapt to a lack of local news. This research further sparked her interest in a career contributing to the preservation of local and rural news.
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By Ireland Hayes

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Ireland joined Foothills Forum as a full-time reporter in 2023 after graduating from the University of Georgia’s Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication with a degree in journalism and minor in music. As a student, she gained valuable experience in reporter and editor positions at The Red & Black, an award-winning student newspaper, and contributed to Grady Newsource and the Athens Banner-Herald. She spent three years as an editorial assistant at Georgia Magazine, UGA’s quarterly alumni publication, and interned with The Bitter Southerner. Growing up in a small town in Southeast Georgia, Ireland developed a deep appreciation for rural communities and the unique stories they have to tell. She completed undergraduate research on news deserts, ghost papers and the ways rural communities in Georgia are being forced to adapt to a lack of local news. This research further sparked her interest in a career contributing to the preservation of local and rural news.