Increase in water rates to be considered

Dan Kulin

Wednesday, June 18, 2003 | 9:20 a.m.

The average Henderson water customer would see the $33 monthly bill increase by almost $5 under a proposed rate hike expected to go the City Council on July 15, city Director of Utility Services Kurt Segler said Tuesday.

The proposed rate increase comes as the other water suppliers in the Las Vegas Valley are also considering raising water rates.

Henderson and Las Vegas Valley Water District officials say their proposed rate increases are designed to encourage conservation in the face of continuing drought.

"This isn't a revenue issue; this is a drought issue," Segler said. "We're looking for people to use less water."

North Las Vegas staff are proposing water rate hikes that would offset operating shortfalls in that city's water budget.

The average Henderson water customer using 18,000 gallons a month would see the monthly bill increase by 15 percent under the proposed rate hikes. Heavy water users would see a higher percentage increase while those using less water would see a smaller increase, Segler said.

The council is expected to hold a public hearing and vote in the proposed rate hikes on July 15, he said.

The rate increases are proposed to go into effect Sept. 1.

Henderson has about 70,000 water customers in its service area, which is roughly the corporate city limits, Segler said.

The Clark County Commission, which also act as the board of the Las Vegas Valley Water District, is expected to hold a public hearing July 15 and vote on proposals that would raise water rates 10 percent to 39 percent.

The recommended rate increases, which would also go into effect Sept. 1, would affect all customers, but larger water users would see heavier increases. A typical family's monthly water bill, now $23.77, would increase by $5.27 under the rate changes.

The North Las Vegas City Council is scheduled to hold public hearings and possibly vote tonight on proposed water and sewer rate increases that would almost double the average customer's monthly water and sewer bill as of September 2005.

However, Assistant Public Works Director David Bereskin said Tuesday that the hearings and votes might be delayed.

The proposal calls for rate increases to take effect in each of the next three Septembers. If approved, the average North Las Vegas customer's water and sewer bill would go from $37.32 now to $71.80 in 2005. About $14 of that increase would come from increased charges for water.

A citizens group reviewing the proposed increases is recommending the council adopt less expensive water charge adjustments.