Sewer User Billing Explanations
Authority
The Kennebunk Sewer District (District) is a quasi-municipal entity established by an act of the State of Maine in 1955. The District is an independent utility directed by a five-member elected Board of Trustees in accordance with the District’s charter. The District owns and operates the Wastewater Treatment Facility located on Water Street and the collection system serving the District’s jurisdiction within Kennebunk. User Fees are collected for the purpose of operating and maintaining the wastewater infrastructure and servicing the debt incurred by the District.
Sewer User Fees
The User Fees have three components that are common to the Commercial and Residential user classes, as follows:
- Debt Service Charge (Debt): means the District’s annual budgeted debt service obligation (as reduced by impact and equity buy-in fees) divided by the total number of residential and commercial units, including the total number of ready to serve units.
- Systems Support Charge (System Support): means the District’s annual budgeted amount for expenses which do not vary with the volume of sewerage treated divided by the total number of residential and commercial units but not including the total number of ready to serve units.
- Variable Expense Charge (Variable): means the annual budgeted amount for expenses which vary with the volume of sewerage treated divided by the aggregate number of cubic feet used by all users.
Residential Users Fees
Residential users are billed for each component of the Sewer User Fee. Most residential units are charged one Debt and one System Support user fee. The variable charges are based on the actual water use from water records purchased from the Kennebunk, Kennebunkport, Wells Water District (KKWWD). Each component is calculated based on the rates annually established by the District’s Board of Trustees.
1. Debt: All single-family homes are set at one Debt charge. Duplexes and multifamily dwellings are charged one debt unit for each unit. Some dwellings with accessory units and some larger condominium units are charged at a lesser rate in accordance with the District’s Rules and Regulations. As an example, a typical Dept charge is calculated as follows:
2. System Support: System Support (SS) charges are calculated in the same manner as the Debt at the applicable rate for System Support.
3. Variable: Variable charges are calculated based on the water consumption readings from the KKWWD. The variable charge is calculated as follows:
The total annual bill for the user is calculated by summing the three components as follows:
For billing purposes, the District charges are based on consumption values from the previous year. The annual charge is then determined and billed in four equal bills.
Commercial Users Fees
Commercial users are billed for each component of the Sewer User Fee. Commercial units are billed for one Debt component and one System Support component for the first 12,000 cubic feet and each addition unit of 12000 cubic feet or fraction thereof.
Commercial users have the same rate components as described for the Residential units. However, the commercial units are defined as a minimum of 12,000 cubic feet for determining the Debt and System Support Charges.
1. Debt: Commercial users are set at a minimum of one debt unit of 12,000 cubic feet of consumption. Commercial users using over 12,000 cubic feet will be charged by dividing the actual annual consumption by 12,000 cubic feet.
Example: XYZ company uses 42,000 cubic feet of water. The rate is $200.00 per debt unit.
2. System Support: System Support charges are calculated in the same manner at the Debt charge. The number of System Support Users is multiplied by the rate to calculate the annual System Support charge. Using the above example to determine the number of System Support (SS) users, a rate of $400.00 per calculated user:
3. Variable Charges: Variable charges are calculated based on the water consumption readings from the KKWWD.
The annual bill for the user is calculated as follows:
For billing purposes, the District charges are based on consumption values from the previous year. The annual charge is then determined and billed out in four equal bills.
Vacant Land Fees
Vacant land: means land which is vacant and unimproved, but which could be improved pursuant to the Kennebunk Zoning Regulations and which is within 200′ of an accessible sewer.
Vacant land is assessed a charge based on frontage owned adjacent to an accessible sewer. This fee is $1.30 per linear feet frontage. For example, owner of vacant land has 150 feet of frontage on Wells Road and the sewer is adjacent to 75 feet of the owner’ property line. The fee would be calculated as follows:
Ready to Serve Fees
Ready to Serve: means a residence or other building which is within 200′ of but is not connected to an accessible sewer.
The charge for Ready to Serve properties is the Debt Charge.
2025 Rates:
| Sewer Charge | Cost | Units |
| Debt | $177.50 | Per debt unit |
| System Support | $445.71 | Per SS unit |
| Variable | $0.04173 | Per cubic foot |
| Vacant Land | $1.30 | Per linear foot |
| Ready to Serve | $177.50 | Per debt unit |
Note the examples used in the explanations do not use actual rates.