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City Council Water & Sewer Subcommittee January 21. 2003 Page 8 Councilwoman Neeley wanted to know how much of that increase is the result of the debt that we have. Mr. Anderson said there has not been a rate change since the last bond issuance in 2001, and the last rate increase went into effect in 2000. City Manager Malone said they could look at that in terms of the debt cost, personnel cost, electricity and chemical cost for water production and wastewater treatment from 1987 to the present. Mr. Campbell said that from 1940 to 1986 the average rain fall was 45.67 inches and from 1987 to 2002 the average rain fall was 49.31 inches. The rain fall has been a lot more for the last 15 years and that would effect the water consumption. Councilman Weekly asked if city staff could produce a diagram or flow chart of the cost as to what has taken place from 1987 to the present time for water production and sewer treatment. Mr. Campbell discussed the staffing of his departments with the Committee telling them that the EPA looks at the plant size and then looks at the staffing to see if it is adequate for the things the city is doing. He said there is not a mandate for this other than the Environmental Services Supervisor, which is mandated by the EPA. Discussing certification, Mr. Campbell said in 1987 there was no certification required for the laboratory personnel. He said there was volunteer certification, but as long as they do the job and are trained well, the city is okay. The EPA, through our contractor, will send the city a set of blind samples that match the parameter that the wastewater plant is supposed to be putting out, and they do not know what is in those samples. Mr. Campbell said those samples have to be run at the city's laboratory and be returned to the EPA's Contractor and then they will send the city a report. If the city does not do not do a good job, EPA will certainly tell you about it. He said the last time the city scored 100 %.