Fishers moved to consolidate sewer services within the city limits by announcing its intention to purchase a part of Hamilton Southeastern (HSE) Utilities that currently serves the city. HSE Utilities filed a petition with the Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission (IURC) Friday requesting approval of the sale, with the City of Fishers filing a petition in support of the move.
The city says it is paying $90 million for the assets involved, with Fishers expected to issue sewage revenue bonds financing the purchase. City officials say in a news release it “does not anticipate raising user rates to complete the financing.”
“Through this acquisition, the City can make a strategic investment to provide its community with complete ownership over all sewer assets within Fishers,” said Fishers Mayor Scott Fadness in the city news release. “Due to strategic investments in our municipal utility and the expertise of our staff, the City is well prepared to consolidate the utilities and provide consistent service and support for all Fishers residents. To be able to finance this purchase without a single penny of increased rates while maintaining the level of service is a real win.”
In addition to currently treating the waste of over 25,000 HSE customers, the City provides collection and treatment service to approximately 6,500 municipal utility customers. Fishers says it “reasonably expects to gain certain operational efficiencies by consolidating both utilities.”