GREEN RIVER — Following an Aug. 20 Green River City Council meeting, city officials met with Mike Sousa, a resident who raised concerns regarding the city’s wastewater treatment plant, water and sewer rate increases, solid waste services, and city employee raises. 

The City of Green River said representatives met with Sousa the next day in a meeting that lasted more than an hour to address each concern in detail. Along with addressing additional rumors and questions. The city said staff provided documentation and background on the issues he raised, including sharing answers to questions that have been previously distributed to the public. 

Wastewater Treatment Cost

In a press release, the City of Green River denied Sousa’s claim that the original cost of the project was estimated to be $20 million dollars and ballooned an additional $30 million due to a mistake. The city said the initial estimate for the design and construction of the new plant in 2016 was approximately $30 million and by 2020 the city had secured a $30 million loan at 2.5% interest. 

However, the city claims that due to COVID-era supply chain disruptions, labor shortages and global cost escalations, the initial bids exceeded available funding. In response to the industry-wide cost increases, the city attempted to pursue value engineering to reduce project costs, sought additional loan funding, and applied for newly available COVID-specific grants. They were able to secure additional loan funding totaling $47.5 million and ARPA grant funding totaling $16.775 million. 

City staff was also able to negotiate reduced interest rates for the loan down to .25%. The city said project change orders allowed them to obtain project betterments at favorable terms. 

“While the entire project ended up costing $56 million for design and construction, the long-term cost to ratepayers remains consistent with original projections due to the grants obtained and interest rate reductions achieved,” the city said in a press release.

Water Bill Increase Concerns

During the meeting, Sousa raised concerns over his water bill increasing from $150 to $215 a month. City staff reviewed his prior billing and were able to demonstrate which portions of the increase were due to adopted rate changes and which portions increased due to individual usage year over year. 

The city said the increase in Sousa’s bill was primarily the result of an increase in water usage of approximately 1,300 cubic feet from the previous month. 

“The sewer portion of the bill did not change in usage, as it was part of the seasonal average that is currently being used to calculate sewer charges, but did have the adopted rate change from the approved FY27 budget as the increase,” the city said.

When comparing last year’s bill to this year’s bill using the same water usage, the change would be approximately $7 more. 

“Water bills fluctuate when usage fluctuates; the City does not control individual consumption,” the city said.

Staff also reviewed the council-approved rate study with Sousa. They said enterprise funds — water, sewer and solid waste — are legally required to be self-sustaining. Rates must cover operation, treatment and infrastructure costs, including debt service. The city said rates are not set to offset any changes in general fund revenue or property tax collections.  

There are no $90 minimum rate increases in the approved rate study

The City of Green River

The projections take into account the cost of the treatment plant, the lower interest rate the city achieved, the grants, and the number of ratepayers over multiple years. They said the result is that the required minimum fee is nearly two-thirds less than the rumored $90 fee. 

The city also said the sewer rates, just like water rates, have a consumption component to the bill and a portion will fluctuate based on the winter period usage of each individual customer. The city encourages customers with questions about the impact of early spring irrigation on their winter average to call the city finance department to see if an adjustment is needed. 

The city said it recognizes that rate increases and a major infrastructure project are important issues for residents and that they have made a deliberate effort to provide opportunities for public discussions, questions, and reviews of information used to make the decisions. 

Solid Waste Service Costs

The city said Green River pays $41.93 per month for solid-waste services. They also acknowledged that while Rock Springs has a lower garbage collection charge, residents also pay for Solid Waste District No. 1 through property tax. 

The city claims that once the tax is included, the cost difference goes down from approximately $15 per month to around $9 per month for a median-value Green River home. 

They said the biggest unknown is what level of service Green River would receive if it joined Sweetwater County Solid Waste District No. 1 and what the cost of service would be. They said the city is under contract with their current provider through 2027. The council will determine a path for solid waste as well as review the ability to get into the district once the current contract expires. 

“Trying to compare to other cities and towns, especially larger cities like Denver, has different economies of scale and different service levels,” the city said. 

City Employee Raises

The city denied the claim that city employees received multiple 6% raises. The budget approved in 2026 included a 2% overall increase for staff and is consistent with the 2% increase approved in 2025. 

The city acknowledges that the increase is below the inflation rate for the years in question and said they cannot verify wage comparisons for miners or other private sector workers because those negotiations and compensation packages are not public. 

The city said they remain committed to transparency and encourages any residents with questions to contact them directly. 

“The resident left the meeting expressing appreciation for the information and clarity provided. Staff made it clear that he is welcome to return any time with questions, and we encourage all residents to do the same,” the city concluded. “City employees take great pride in serving this community—living here, raising families here, and working every day to keep Green River safe, functional, and progressing for future generations.”