AUSTIN, Texas — Austin Water and Watershed Protection Department customers could see a hike in their water rates in their monthly bills.
According to the latest upcoming budget from the City of Austin, Austin Water customers could see a bump of $2.65 for usage of 5,800 gallons of water and 4,000 gallons of wastewater. According to the Austin Monitor, the reason behind the rate hike is due to the increase in rising costs of chemicals Austin Water uses in its treatment processes.
The budget broke down key highlights for Austin Water. Below is a list of how the water utility company plans to use its funds:
- Invest in key infrastructure, service reliability and water quality
- Use $7.7 million in funding to continue employee recruiting and retention initiatives
- Use $6.6 million in funding for chemical costs and projected usage of chemicals in the water and wastewater treatment processes
- Add 20 new positions to support customer relations, Water Forward, lift stations and remote facilities and operations and facility safety
Austin Water also plans to spend $297.7 million on several projects, which was highlighted in the budget presentation.
- $26.6 million for advanced metering infrastructure
- This would allow for meters to be read electronically
- $20 million to construct an operations and emergency management facility
- $19.9 million to address the aging infrastructure and deteriorating assets at the South Austin Regional Wastewater Treatment Plant Trains A&B
- $17.3 million to increase the Walnut Creek Wastewater Treatment plant from 75 million gallons per day to 100 million gallons per day (MGD)
As for the Watershed Protection Department, the budget includes about $1 million increase for vegetation and creek cleanup contract costs, 11 positions added that would be dedicated to creek clean up, pond maintenance, storm drain modeling and other critical initiatives and a $5 million decrease in the transfer to the Capital Improvement Program.
There are several projects the budget also highlighted, which include:
- $14 million for The Confluence project at Waller Creek
- $12.3 million for Roy G. Guerrero Park Channel Stabilization
- $4.3 million for Little Walnut Creek
- $2 million to upgrade drainage infrastructure and mitigate localized flooding in the Oak Knoll area
The funds will increase customers' wastewater bills by 0.37 a month for a typical residential customer drainage utility charge.
These changes will take place when the new fiscal year starts which is slated for Oct. 1.
For more information on the City's budget, click here.