Sewer rates in Midtown need more rethinking

Some Roane County wastewater plant customers are complaining about having to pay for sewage treatment they do not use.
We see another flaw in the billing system.
Unlike many other utilities, the Roane County wastewater plant charges a flat fee for residential customers — no matter how much waste they produce.
That means that a family of five — perhaps with two working adults — pays the same as an elderly person who lives along on a limited, fixed income.
Where’s the fairness in that?
Many other utilities base their sewer charges on the amount of water used per residence. Homes that use a lot of water are likely to be producing more waste, so they should pay more.
We are aware that the county isn’t directly in the water business. However, the county wastewater plant does much, if not all, of its billing through other utilities who likely could provide the tie-in to water usage.
We can appreciate the county’s need to extend sewer service to the rapidly expanding Midtown retail area.
But we think fair billing should be an important part of the equation.