Coulee Dam officials did the math last week after someone said they thought Elmer City residents paid too much for Coulee Dam to handle the smaller town’s wastewater.

The average amount per residential unit that Coulee Dam charges Elmer City is $18.78, town officials stated Friday, while Elmer City chages its customers $35.

The average was calculated for the years 2008-2012.

The billing issue came up at the Coulee Dam Town Council meeting last Wednesday when one speaker contended that Elmer City residents are getting charged about three times as much as Coulee Dam residents.

But Coulee Dam’s charges to Elmer City over the five-year period average about half of what Elmer City residents are actually paying for their service, Coulee Dam officials said.

Elmer City residents pay $35 a month for sewer service while Coulee Dam residents pay $59.

Coulee Dam made the following charges to the town of Elmer City: $36,659.64 in 2008; $39,889.33 in 2009; $44,416.00 in 2010; $50,617.96 in 2011; and $38,302.32 in 2012. Coulee Dam adds on a $400 fee each year for administrative costs.

The five-year average billing per year is $42,377.05, and the average yearly cost to each of 188 equivalent residential unit (ERU) in Elmer City is $225.41, which comes to $18.78 a month.

The remainder of what Elmer City charges its customers is administrative fees.