Ripon’s solid waste rates are increasing 20 percent in February.

It is part of overall municipal utility charges — water, sewer, and solid waste — going up to $134.79 a month from the current $123.10 starting next month.

The February increase is the first of five annual raises in municipal utility charges through 2030 approved last week by the Ripon City Council. The fifth step will take Ripon’s household municipal utility costs to $157 a month.

That will take the current charges for:

*Solid waste from $44.30 a month to $62.04 a month in 2030.

*Water from $52.60 a month to $64.04 a month in 2030.

*Sewer from $26.20 a month to $30.40 a month in 2030.

The new overall monthly utility charge of $135 is higher that Escalon ($118) and Riverbank ($125).

It is lower than Manteca ($141), Oakdale ($149), Modesto ($152), Ceres ($181), and Lathrop ($199).

Overall, Ripon’s utility charge starting next month will be 11 percent lower than the cities surveyed.

Ripon’s garbage rate hike is the highest as there is a pressing need to increase funding to maintain current service levels as well as restoring the garbage fund’s targeted balance in the event of an emergency such as a garbage truck being damaged to the point it can no longer be used.

Increases after this year will be 4 percent annually for garbage.

The water increase is 4 percent annually over the five years to maintain current service operating levels and maintaining two new well head treatment systems at two groundwater wells.

The 3 percent annual sewer hike will keep pace with increased costs such as chemicals, wages, electricity and such as well as allow funds to be transferred to fund an upcoming step up in treatment processes when the city goes to secure a new discharge permit from the state.

The household water rate used as an example is for a 1-inch water meter no more than 16 hundred cubic feet of water used a month.

Larger connections and higher water use imposes additional charges.

To contact Dennis Wyatt, email dwyatt@mantecabulletin.com