MAPLETON — Posh homes at the foot of a picturesque mountain are part of living in this peaceful, off-the-beaten-path burg.
But Mapleton also has the distinction of having the highest utility bills among the nine largest towns in Utah County, mostly because of its sewer rates, according to a study.
Why do residents pay so much?
"We missed the boat when federal money was available," City Manager Bob Bradshaw said.
So people who live there are asked to cover a $9.4 million debt to build the sewer system, which was completed in 1996. A Mapleton homeowner's monthly sewer bill averages $40.76.
Residents who are not hooked up — 324 of them — pay $30 monthly toward paying off the debt for the sewer system, Bradshaw said, although they get no service.
Many choose not to hook up because of the cost, Bradshaw said. Residents who live more than 300 feet from the sewer don't have to pay for it until development moves the line within the 300 feet.
Because of the sewer tab, Mapleton residents pay more each month — $125.99 on average — for utilities than other residents in Utah County, according to the survey conducted by Springville last year. Springville leaders are getting ready to do the study again, finance director Dave Allen said.
Spanish Fork has the second most expensive utilities in Utah County — $124.78 on average. Included is an average electric bill of more than $50, the fourth highest in the county.
Spanish Fork uses excess electric funds to cover shortfalls in other areas, notably the city-owned Spanish Oaks golf course, the library and ambulance service.
"Every city creates its revenue source a little different," Spanish Fork City Manager Dave Oyler said.
Residents' water bills average about $47 a month, based on 20,000 gallons. That's more than 60 percent above the next highest city, Mapleton, where monthly water bills average $30.20.
Once a city with low water costs, Spanish Fork leaders saw limited sources of water for the growing town. So they built the pressurized irrigation system, which escalated water costs. The three Utah County cities with the priciest power, Lehi, Springville and Payson, fall close to the middle for total utilities paid. All three cities are on the Utah Association of Municipal Power Systems grid.
The group recently completed a $100 million power plant in Payson that is powered by natural gas and steam. However, gas prices are high, which has driven up power-generation costs, Payson Power Superintendent Ron Crump said.
The plant doesn't run unless it can beat the prices in a mix of power sources, he said.
Residents in the three cities pay, on average, more than $60 a month to turn on the lights in their homes, assuming 644 kilowatt hours are used monthly.
Meanwhile, the Utah County city with the least expensive utilities is Provo. Monthly combined utilities there average less than $80, according to the study.
When power rates jumped in 2001, Provo had firm rates locked in and wasn't as affected, said Provo power superintendent Kevin Garlick.
Provo and Spanish Fork use Utah Municipal Power Agency power. The least expensive power, however, comes from Utah Power, which serves Orem, American Fork, Pleasant Grove and Mapleton.
Provo's utility bills are the lowest because of water and sewer rates. Residents pay average monthly bills of $12.67 and $11.25, respectively, for those services.
E-mail: rodger@desnews.com