HARRISVILLE — Borough council addressed updates to the sewage rates for businesses that have meters at Monday's meeting.

Council President April Anschutz said the EADS Group, the borough's engineering consultant, informed the council on Monday about rate recommendations.

The engineering group had been looking at metered sewage rates over the past couple months, but business owners pushed back against new increases at the beginning of the year.

Business owners were allowed to install their own meters at their own expense, as long as the meters were accessible in case the borough wanted to do a manual reading to verify readings called in by the businesses.

Joseph Fusillo, department manager for EADS, said everyone would continue to pay the base rate this year of $58 per 1,500 gallons.

He said the rate would continue at 98 cents per 100 gallons, which rounds up, so 1,510 gallons would count as 1,600 gallons and cost an added 98 cents for the month.

Fusillo said the engineers looked at surrounding rates and re-examined fees from years before.

“We first looked at the EDUs under the original schedule, then we looked back at the meter reads,” he said. “I apologize for the longevity it did take, but I wanted to do my due diligence.”

Resident and business owner Joe Lowers, who owns a detailing business, was one of the owners who saw their bill rise. Lowers said his bill originally rose 320 percent.

Lowers said he was satisfied with the new rates for metered businesses.

“Their math is slightly different than what mine was, but it's still fair,” Lowers said. “I think it's a reasonable rate.”

Lowers said he made three-months worth of sewage payments on Monday. He said in the last three months he exceeded 1,500 gallons just once, and then only by 30 gallons.

“I paid it for the $58 per month. When it comes down to it today, I owe them 98 cents,” Lowers said. “I'm glad we finally have resolution. I'm a little disappointed we had to go through this whole process to start with, that we're basically back where we started with.”

Borough council will still need to vote on an ordinance to make the meter rates final. The ordinance could be voted on next month.