Los Alamos County Council will consider adopting a proposed water rate increase at the September 27 Public Hearing. Do you have any feedback for the Council?

Punishing people for conserving water. 10% is a large increase. What if we go through a dry period and water use goes up? Will the rate go back to what it was? There is no mention of this contingency. Don't like the idea of being made to pay for water conservation. No.
" Rates are designed to allow the DPU to recover its costs, as well as bring in reasonable revenue to maintain reliable water services to Los Alamos County." What are the details of these costs? Where exactly in detail is this money going to go? Too many unanswered questions, not enough transparency at this point.

The need to raise water rates to maintain the county water system is understandable. The increases to the monthly service rates seem appropriate. However, the proposed rates for consumption disproportionately penalize individual residential homeowners, particularly homeowners in White Rock which receives less rainfall than Los Alamos. Suggest that either (1) the residential rates match the multi-family rates or (2) the top tier residential rate (>15,000 gallons) remain unchanged at 5.325 as it is already significantly higher than the mid tier rate.

Perhaps, given the changes on how people use utilities (not just water) - the DPU should consider having a fee structure that more closely matches 1. flat rates for infrastructure and 2. actual cost of water for variable rates. This change (both with water rates and gas) is due to an outdated fee structure. And the DPU can stop giving out conflicting information - (Conserve water / gas/ electricity) and (your rates will go up when you actually conserve) - in effect, we make efforts to conserve but then pay the same total amount - there is no real incentive to conserve!!

The proposed increase is not enough to catch up with projected expenses. The water system is required by the charter to be run at breakeven and to maintain reserves. That has not been done. By keeping rates low for many years the water distribution system has fallen into a deficit position and maintenance has been deferred to the point that homeowners in older parts of town are threatened with frequent catastrophic failures. It's a total misrepresentation that the reserves have been "healthy": the distribution system reserve is near zero and the distribution system budget for replacement this year was zeroed out. I suggest passing this increase and directing the Utility Board to come back with another increase in the near future to purt the water system on a path to recovery ASAP.

Increasing water rates after one season of decreased use is premature. we do not need a water rate increase and I do not support this proposal.

This is insane. No, no, no. Do any of you at the DPU or at the County Council have even the slightest knowledge of basic economics? If prices go up, then usage goes down; so when usage goes down, revenue goes down too. It's really that simple. Use your brains for once and stop raking us over the coals for your inability to plan and spend properly.

We, the citizens of Los Alamos County has been asked to reduce our water usage. We, the community complied. The county states now states that water usage has not been 'great enough' ( paraphrased) and therefore a rate increase is being considered to off-set this situation!!!

This smacks' of a catch-22!

I put forth my statement towards this question by the County ...NO TO ANY INCREASE!

I have read the proposal and would not mind if it were enacted.

Oh what fun! This part of BPU's press release suggests the rates must go up because we are not using enough water:

"Continuing cool weather with consistent moderate rainfall has created a trend toward reduced water sales. Even with reduced sales, however, costs of operating and maintaining a complex water production and delivery system continue to increase. [ ... ] To continue a prudent level of maintenance and replacement with current sales projections, rate increases are necessary."

This part of the press release suggests that rates for heavy users were increased because, as a whole, we are using too much water:

"Peak season begins May 1 and continues through September 30. It applies a tiered water rate only to residential and multifamily customers and is designed to recover higher costs associated with higher consumption."