Mid Ohio director calls Raftelis study "draft," outlines London rate history and $591M capital plan

Nick Daley, the new executive director of Mid Ohio Water & Sewer District, told London City Council that a widely circulated Raftelis analysis remains a draft and should not be treated as final. “I want to make it very clear that report is draft,” Daley said while introducing himself and the district’s planning materials.

Daley walked through historical rates and ordinances affecting City of London water and sewer customers. He said London experienced no sewer rate increases from 2015 to 2022, that the city’s pre-Mid Ohio ordinance set a $5.82 per 1,000-gallon baseline that was adjusted in 2023, and that Raftelis’ recommendations should be considered alongside the city’s prior ordinances and assumptions. “Rates here in London were $5.82 per thousand gallons,” Daley said, noting the ordinance-led changes that followed Mid Ohio’s takeover.

Daley also provided the district’s planning figures: Mid Ohio’s 10-year capital improvement plan totals about $591,000,000, and he estimated roughly one-third of that work would be connected to London/central-region projects. He told council the district is still balancing competing priorities—including capacity constraints in the northern region—and will continue feasibility work and consultant procurements before proposing any changes to local rates or project schedules.

The presentation included questions from council members about timing and scope. Daley said he plans, as of now, to propose a rate increase only in 2027 and emphasized that many parts of the plan remain under study. Council members and staff asked for further documentation, including pro forma materials and prior board presentations, to reconcile earlier expectations with the district’s current projections.