Greenwood
Metropolitan District

GMD Commission Approves a 9.9% Rate Increase

The Greenwood Metropolitan District Commission approved a 9.9% rate increase on 8/10/2011. You may have questions about why this was necessary. We have those answers for you.

Why is a Rate Increase Necessary?

• To meet regulatory requirements mandated by EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) and SC DHEC (SC Department of Health and Environmental Control)
• For the construction of Phase II of the Wilson Creek Wastewater Treatment Plant. GMD recently completed a $46 million dollar upgrade at the plant to address EPA mandates.
• To address aging sewer lines. Many sewer lines in Greenwood are over 100 years old. 
• To upgrade sewer lines to allow capacity that will encourage new business and industry to locate in Greenwood, thereby creating jobs. Without adequate capacity and necessary infrastructure, Greenwood cannot attract new industry. 
• GMD is a business. Our costs for fuel, utilities and supplies have increased like everyone's. 

 What is GMD Doing to Offset the Impact to our Customers?

• GMD actively seeks grants to offset costs to our rate payers. We have obtained over $3 million dollars in grants over a period of 3 years for projects and upgrades.
• Treatment plants run 24 hours a day/7 days a week. GMD utilizes a Power Share Agreement to substantially reduce our energy costs at the treatment plants. 
• GMD took advantage of new legislation that allows tax exempt status to our Wilson Creek Wastewater Treatment Plant for processes directly related to recycling. 
• GMD has proposed a plan to bring all parts of the sewer system into full compliance over a period of 15 years. While that may seem like a lengthy period, we recognize that our customers could not sustain the impact of doing so in a shorter period of time. 
• We are trying to do more with less. GMD is looking at every part of our business for ways to improve our processes. We view our future as recycling our products like the biosolids process and possibly water reuse of our effluent. 
• Rate increases do not fund salary increases for our staff. This is the third consecutive year that GMD employees have received no cost of living increase and no salary increase.