by Kevin Zimmermann
SHEBOYGAN, WI (WHBL) – At last Monday’s meeting of the Sheboygan Board of Waterworks Commissioners, the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on economic activity was written in the numbers.
Superintendent Joe Trueblood’s fiscal report showed that water demands for this past May had declined 30% from May of 2019. While that might sound good from a conservation standpoint, the fact is that the utility depends upon revenue generated by water usage fees in order to operate, and the reduction in use has commissioners looking for ways to stretch the budget.
Reducing expenses isn’t a simple solution, as Trueblood explained that beyond chemicals and electricity, most of the operating costs behind supplying clean water to the area are fixed, and efficiency declines as demand goes down.
The city’s window for receiving water and other bill payments was shut down for safety between March 13th and May 26th, and without a disconnection program or late fees, revenue receipts slumped. That window is now open and receipts have picked up. However, short of a return to normal usage, the only savings the water utility can achieve will be by delaying capital projects that had been scheduled.
