KINGFIELD – Wastewater system customers will see a 52 percent rate increase starting April 1, selectmen decided Monday night.

The new rate is $275 per year, up from $181. Billing will be quarterly, with a cap of 15,000 gallons per quarter included. Customers who use more than 15,000 gallons and up to 40,000 gallons will be charged $ .032165 per gallon. Customers who use more than 40,000 gallons will pay $ .00160825 per gallon.

“We have 265 units on the system,” Town Clerk Leanna Targett said. “They’ll see the new rates in their April bill.”

Selectmen had accepted Maine Rural Water Executive Director Steve Levy’s revised rate structure that will generate revenues for future maintenance and repairs.

Selectmen may decide to review the rate structure annually to verify whether the base rate meets the revenue projections for the costs to support the system. Selectmen have agreed to individual cases for special situations, like water leaks, filling pools, and watering gardens.

Monday’s special town meeting was followed by a public hearing on the  new rate structure. Four residents came to Kingfield Elementary School to hear about applying for state grant for a wastewater system overhaul.

Voters authorized selectmen to borrow up to $115,000, if the town receives a Maine Community Development Block Grant to pay a majority of the costs. Only if the town receives the grant money will selectmen have to find a percentage of the grant award as matching funds.