The Board of Public Utilities will consider a proposed sewage rate increase at the June 21st Board meeting. Do you have any feedback for the Board?

The Department of Public Utilities (DPU) will bring to the Board of Public Utilities (BPU) a draft ordinance 02-276 to increase sewage rates.  Open to the public, the hearing on the proposed rate increase is scheduled for:

Wednesday, June 21st at 5:30 PM
Municipal Building, Council Chambers
1000 Central Avenue, Los Alamos, NM

If approved, the draft ordinance will be introduced to the Los Alamos County Council on June 27th to be scheduled for a public hearing on July 25th.  Council will consider adoption of the ordinance at that time.

PUBLIC COMMENTS

Please provide comments on this open forum page before 11:59 PM on Monday, June 19th.  All comments from this forum will be shared with the BPU prior to the hearing.  Members of the public are also welcome to provide public comment in person to the BPU at the June 21st hearing.  

BACKGROUND

DPU staff is planning to replace the White Rock wastewater treatment facility in the near future.  Therefore, DPU is proposing an 8-percent increase to establish a rate sufficient to sustain future debt service for a new wastewater treatment facility.   

MONTHLY SERVICE FEE:

All customer classes will be charged a monthly customer charge for each account to cover administrative costs such as billing and collections.  

COLLECTION AND TREATMENT RATES:

Residential customers are charged a flat fixed charge per dwelling unit for sewage that is collected and treated. 

Commercial customers (which includes commercial, schools and county customers) are charged a variable rate based on the winter average of potable water consumed, or other measuring period as determined appropriate by the DPU based on seasonal or other non-traditional water use patterns, with a minimum of 2,000 gallons.  

ADJUSTMENT FACTOR:

Further, DPU applies an adjustment factor to commercial customers to account for the difference between the volume billed and the volume expected to require treatment.  This difference arises because of metering errors, timing differences, the use of a winter water consumption average for billing, and storm water infiltration. The proposed ordinance changes the adjustment factor from a "fraction required" to convert the volume to the amount of sewage expected to be treated, to more specifically "16-percent." 

EXAMPLE BILL

Read the proposed draft ordinance:  02-276 Sewage Service Rate