Napa residents are in for a slow but steady increase in what they pay to flush. The Napa Sanitation District board on Wednesday signed off on a five-year plan to raise sewer service charges by about 3% a year, starting July 1. District leaders say the gradual approach spreads the cost of day-to-day operations and big-ticket repairs over time instead of dropping one large increase on customers all at once.
The decision followed Wednesday’s public hearing, during which the district reported receiving 546 written protests, well below the threshold required to stop the rate plan under state law. As covered by the Napa Valley Register, board members said they heard concerns from residents, particularly those on fixed incomes, but argued that smaller annual bumps are…..