Sean C. Morgan
One thing you won’t find in your water and sewer bill next month is any increase in rates.
“The budget is put together with the current user rates unchanged,” said Public Works Director Mike Adams. “We’re basically using our reserve carryover to offset any rate adjustments at this time.”
On the water side, the city paid off the last of a 20-year debt for a reservoir this fiscal year, 2012-13, Adams said. The city will pay off debt in 2013-14 for the early 1990s expansion of the Wastewater Treatment Plant.
The city increased wastewater rates last year, but this will be the third year with no increase in water rates.
Throughout the past year, there may have been more water and sewer users, Adams said. Revenues have been a little higher than anticipated.
On the wastewater side, the city still doesn’t have money to transfer into a capital reserve or depreciation fund, which are used to replace aging pipes, Adams said.
“I feel good that staff is able to do their jobs effectively and positively, all the time trying to control expenses,” he said. That helps avoid increases on an annual basis.
On the flip side, when there is no annual adjustment, the utilities get by using carryover, he said.
“We’re starting to get to the point where costs are increasing for everything, just like it is for everybody. The cost associated with providing the service or the commodity is getting more costly all the time.
“Any time we’re able to maintain the user rates at the current level is good for everybody.”
The good news will last through fiscal 2013-14, which ends on June 30, 2014.
Next fiscal year, Adams anticipates recommending increases in water, wastewater and storm water rates.
In addition to normal operations and maintenance, the city is continuing efforts to decrease excess flows at the Wastewater Treatment Plant, and the aging system is in need of repairs and replacement, he said.
On the water side, the city continues to make water conservation improvements, attempting to identify water losses and make sure it does everything it can to recover revenues on water loss.