The Board of Selectmen acting as Sewer Commissioners granted a $2,693 sewer abatement to the owner of a Meineke in East Wareham Tuesday night.

The owner had written Selectmen several times claiming he was overcharged on his sewer bill, which jumped from $1,490 for 2012 and 2013 to $4,783 this past January.

Currently, Wareham sewer users pay a flat annual $596 per EDU (equivalent dwelling units). A single-family home is charged one EDU, while a two-unit duplex is generally charged two EDUs. Businesses are scheduled similarly. For example, restaurants are charged one EDU per 12 seats; gas stations are charged one EDU per service island.

The owner of Meineke added two service bays to his shop ten years ago. Under the EDU rate, he should have been paying this increased bill since then.

Selectman Patrick Tropeano previously said this bill increase was unfair because the shop owner's water usage was likely well under the minimum, but he had to pay this high amount because of the flat fee system and other oddities in the EDU rate formula.

"He uses 50 gallons of water a day," said Tropenao. "We all know that this is not equitable." He added, "Even if you decide he isn't paying enough, you don't put all that on him on one year."

Last month, Selectmen, along with Guy Campinha, director of the Wareham Water Pollution Control Facility, decided that instead of granting abatements to individual businesses or corporations, they would tackle the problem at the source. Different types of businesses have certain rules and rates under the EDU system, so Selectmen planned to adjust certain categories (such as gas stations and auto repair shops) of the system.

"You cannot cherry-pick a business, corporation or individual. It's not good process and it's not fair to the other people who are living under the same constraints," said Selectman Judith Whiteside last month.

Despite discussion to forgo the abatement last month, Selectmen voted to grant the abatement by a vote of 2-1 on Tuesday. Whiteside was the one dissenting vote.

"Abatements are designed for inequities... that's what it's there for," said Tropeano.