Boulder City water rate hike proposed for big commercial users

Greg Harman

Tuesday, Oct. 31, 2000 | 11:02 a.m.

A water rate increase for Boulder City's biggest commercial water users appears to be around the bend. And a system of incentives and penalties for large residential customers may follow.

At a City Council workshop Monday, no objections were voiced to a private engineering firm's recommendation that Boulder City raise the rates for commercial customers using more than 550,000 gallons per month.

The town stands to cut water use while earning more than $500,000 each year by instituting the rate increase recommended by Black & Veatch Corp.

The new rate system would continue to charge $1 per 1,000 gallons of water for the first 550,000 gallons consumed, but use above that level would cost $1.50 per 1,000 gallons of water.

The proposed increase would affect large commercial users such as El Dorado Energy's gas-fired power plant, the Clark County School District and possibly the proposed Park Place Entertainment golf course.

The study was prompted by Boulder City's agreement with the Southern Nevada Water Authority to study ways to reduce its water usage.

Councilman Bryan Nix objected to the study's focus on commercial users, pointing out that it "doesn't do anything to encourage the rest of us to conserve water."

City Manager John Sullard said that he had been guided by the "assumption we didn't want to hit residential," adding that larger commercial users can "buy equipment to cut down on their use of water."

And though Nix encouraged the council to consider instituting financial incentives to push residential customers to lower their water use, Mayor Bob Ferraro warned against such a move.

Ferraro suggested that by offering rewards for lowering water usage, the council would be encouraging residents to let their yards deteriorate.

"In my opinion that's the worst sort of thing you can do," he said.

But Nix insisted there should be consequences for large residential water users, and he pointed to a list provided to the council members of the town's top users.

"We have residential users here who are using 3 million gallons a year. ... That's one person using the equivalent of 10 residential users," Nix said.

He cited Clark County Commissioner Bruce Woodbury -- listed as the town's seventh-highest residential water customer, with a monthly use of 183,000 gallons -- as an example.

Reached at his office this morning, Woodbury said Boulder City is sending a mixed message by encouraging residents to plant trees for "the clean air aspect" while discussing cuts in water usage.

He said that his home has very little turf but a number of trees.

"Boulder City hasn't had the same kinds of (water) problems the rest of the Las Vegas Valley has had," he said.

At the workshop, Councilman Mike Pacini agreed that a system of penalties should be in place, but Ferraro dissented.