After four years without an increase in fees, the Evansville Water and Sewer Utility (EWSU) will seek to implement gradual sanitation fee adjustments over the next three years – a proactive step to ensure the quality and sustainability of Evansville’s trash service.
An amendment to the City’s sanitation contract with Republic Services will be considered by the Evansville City Council on first reading January 12. The amended contract calls for a $2 increase in the monthly trash fee – from $13.30 to $15.30 in 2026. The fee would be $17.30 in 2027 and $20.92 in 2028.
The increases are necessary to align with the true cost of providing these essential services to city residential customers, while allowing the Utility to avoid a single, major rate hike later.
“Since the last fee adjustment, the cost of trash disposal has gone up,” said EWSU Executive Director Vic Kelson. He said cash reserves have been used to cover the difference instead of passing the increase to city customers.
“If we don’t start to slowly ramp up rates now, customers can expect to take a big hit in 2028 when the current contract with Republic Servies expires,” Kelson said. By that time, the continuing deficit between the cost of service and fees collected is expected to grow to $5 million.
Until now, EWSU has been able to use cash reserve to supplement sanitation fees; this was a result of the Utility temporarily pausing future sewer projects while renegotiating terms of the Integrated Overflow Control Plan to eliminate sewer discharges. “This is no longer feasible,” Kelson said.
The contract amendment also includes several customer service benefits. All local calls to Republic Services would be directed to EWSU instead of a remote call center, ensuring all concerns are handled locally and efficiently. EWSU customer service representatives would enter service orders into a tracking system to ensure timeliness.
In addition, Republic Services would provide two large dumpsters, eight times a year at pre-determined locations to facilitate heavy trash removal. These opportunities will be aligned with City-supported neighborhood cleanup initiatives, and available for neighborhoods who request dumpster service to allow residents to dispose of heavy trash.
“We are listening to what our customers tell us they want,” Kelson said. “The amended contract gives us the best opportunity to greatly enhance service to our customers.”
