On May 28, 2024, the city council approved a water rate adjustment effective July 1, 2024. This 5.5% adjustment will result in a $2.99 increase in the average single-family monthly water bill. Additionally, the city will transition to a tiered water rate structure as part of a state-mandated Water Management and Conservation plan. This plan intends to promote conservation and water stewardship within the city.
Why are my utility bills going up?
The city adopted a Water System Master Plan on March 28, 2023, and the Water System Development Charge Methodology Resolution on February 27, 2024. The city council held a work session on April 22, 2024, to review the water rates required to fund the capital improvements plan. The April 2024 Water Rate Study recommended a 5.5% increase for the next 5 years to cover inflation, debt, and ongoing operation and maintenance costs of the water system.
Moreover, as part of the state-mandated conservation plan, ratepayers who use 15-30 centum (100) cubic feet per month will be charged a 20% premium over the base block price. Payers who use over 31 centum cubic feet will be charged a 75% price premium over their base block. Based on historical data, most of our community members (63%) will not be affected by the state-mandated conservation plan changes.
To learn more about how this process was conducted, watch the city council work session and meeting here:
Work session: https://youtube.com/live/7hdvraYzCCo
City Council meeting: https://youtube.com/live/akmctCIfuF0