The future is murky regarding the amount South Windham residents will pay the town in sewer fees after a proposed temporary rate increase was defeated at Tuesday’s Town Council meeting.

The increased sewer rate will be used to pay the $2.3 million balance the town owes the Portland Water District over the next 20 years for the new higher-volume sewer project it entered into with the town of Gorham and the Maine Correctional Center in South Windham.

“I voted for it because I think it’s important to get a rate in place now,” said Town Councilor Bob Muir. He voted along with councilors John MacKinnon and Liz Wisecup to raise the sewer rate for users for the first time in 16 years, but that vote ended in a tie and, in accordance with the town charter, failed.

Councilor Carol Waig, an employee at the prison, abstained from voting on the sewer rate.

The increase would have been in effect until a new billing plan is created. Councilors are divided on whether that will take weeks or months.

The current sewer user fee, according to Windham Finance Director Brian Wolcott, chargers users $11.50 for the first 200 cubic feet of water flushed, which is about 1,500 gallons, and $5 for each additional 100 feet.

The proposed interim rate would have increased fees to $17.25 for the first 200 cubic feet of water flushed and $7.50 for each additional 100 feet.

“I think if we’re going to raise people’s rates, we need to do it properly,” said Town Councilor Blaine Davis. He, along with councilors Kaile Warren and Donna Chapman, voted against the interim rate because they didn’t like the way the figure was reached. Davis said the interim figure was created by averaging the four highest sewer user fees of surrounding towns.

“I don’t believe in window shopping to set prices,” said Warren. He said the fee should be set on the costs associated with managing the sewer system, not local averages.

“It’s been 16 years since they adjusted the rate, waiting a few more weeks to do it properly isn’t going to hurt anything,” said Davis.

But MacKinnon said a delay will hurt the taxpayers of Windham.

“The only real difference is, we will not have an interim rate,” said MacKinnon. He said the town had already planned to hire an expert to calculate a fair rate, and the vote will cost the town about $9,000 in lost revenue each month until a new rate is decided.

South Windham is the only area in town where public sewer service is available. Town Manager Tony Plante said Windham’s tab for the project will be paid for with sewer user fees from South Windham residents and not from tax dollars from the rest of the town.

The sewer carries waste from South Windham through Gorham and into Westbrook, where it is treated and released into the Presumpscot River. The entire project, which was started in early 2007 and was completed earlier this year, cost an estimated $7.9 million. The project replaced an older sewer system in South Windham that had a lower volume of waste removal.

Laura Pecoraro, who owns two buildings in South Windham, criticized the sewer project.

“My sewer was working fine, I didn’t need an improvement,” said Pecoraro. She said she’s concerned about the cost to her tenants.