Phoenix Council To Vote On 12 Percent Water Rate Hike
Residents and business owners in Phoenix can share their opinions about a water rate hike Wednesday. That’s when the city council is scheduled to vote on a 12-percent increase.
If approved, the increase would be split over two years. The city says the average customer would pay an extra $2 a month starting in Feb. 2019 and then an addition $2.37 a month starting in Feb. 2020.
The Water Services Department says the money is needed to fix and replace aging systems and build the infrastructure to deal with shortages on the Colorado River.
According to a city report, Phoenix water rates are among the lowest compared to other large cities. Over a 12-month period, it finds the average water bill for a single family home $36 a month. That does not include wastewater, trash and other fees that make up a city services bill.
Over the next five years, Phoenix expects to spend:
- Approximately $525 million on pipelines
- Approximately $185 million on surface water treatment plants
- $145 million on water pump stations and pressure-reducing valves
- Around $55 million on reservoirs and other storage
- $105 million on other system needs, including technology and security
Phoenix’s Water Infrastructure consists of:
- 7,000 miles of water pipelines and 450,000 service lines
- Five large surface water treatment plants
- 160,000 valves
- Hundreds of pump stations, wells, tanks, and reservoirs
- 50,000 fire hydrants
Source: City of Phoenix
