Comments on water rate increase sought

Bexar Metropolitan Water District, which is foreseeing a $5.8 million shortfall this fiscal year, is expected to accept one of three proposed options to collect needed revenue. The first will increase all residential and commercial water rates by nine percent. The average residential home using about 7,500 gallons per month would pay approximately $2.60 more with this plan. Commercial properties using an average of 40,000 gallons a month would probably dish out another $17.15.
 
The Water Supply Fee would also be raised from the current $1.72 per 1,000 gallons to $1.87.
 
Options Two and Three would change the fee scale as well and alter the amount of water allowed within the least expensive and most expensive usage blocks. Again, based on the average home using 7,500 gallons per month, residents would pay about $2.29 more a month, or 7.9 percent, with Option Two and $4.19, or 14.5 percent, with Option Three. No changes in the Water Supply Fee are proposed within either of these plans.
 
BexarMet, which has not raised its rates since 2008, has been burdened by the rising cost of power and fuel just as ratepayers have. The unusually wet weather since last September has affected water consumption as well and reduced BexarMet’s revenue by nearly 10 percent, or $7 million.
 
The three proposals may be viewed at http://www.bexarmet.org/files/financial/rate_presentation_2010.pdf

Comments may be sent to Wenger, Stone Oak's representative on the BexarMet Board of Directors, at wengertx@satx.rr.com