HELENA — Helena commissioners officially voted to eliminate water and wastewater service line replacement program fees on Monday night.
City commissioners say that the first bill the customer will receive with the fee reduction will be on the 2023 February utility bill.
February is the earliest that the fee can be removed from the bills with the city's existing financial software.
The fees help provide zero-interest loans for residents who needed emergency sewer or water line repairs, but the program saw little use while collecting millions of dollars.
The city will continue the program with the existing funds.
The water line program currently has about $930,000 dollars in the fund and the wastewater program has about $1.8 million in the fund.
