North Weld County Water District (NWCWD) is changing the way rates are calculated. These changes provide the necessary revenue to pay for the increasing costs of infrastructure maintenance and water purchases. To ease the changes to customers, NWCWD will make the transition to the new calculation model over time.
The first and second public meetings were well attended and many good questions were posed by the attendees. The information sheet from the meetings can be found here and the slides here.
The model and anticipated rate changes will be discussed at an additional upcoming public meeting to be held on October 28 at 6:00 p.m.
The meeting will take place at the NWCWD offices located at 32825 CR 39 in Lucerne. The District will share the rate proposal for 2020 and the specifics how this new rate model will impact average households.
On Tuesday, November 12, 2019, the Board of Directors of North Weld County Water District will consider the water rates, fees and charges for the coming year. The Board Meeting will be held at 1:00 p.m. at the District office located at 32825 Weld County Road 39, Lucerne, CO 80646. The meeting is open to the public and you are welcome to attend and to be heard as part of the Board’s deliberations on water rate and fee issues.
WHY THE CHANGE?
- Aging infrastructure
- Increasing water demand
- Need for additional water supply
- Raw water projects
NWCWD must invest $46 million in major infrastructure improvement, water projects, and purchases to continue to provide water to current customers and prepare for the future. While we can defer some projects, we still have $38 million of urgent needs to address in the next five years.
WHAT WILL MY WATER BILL LOOK LIKE NEXT YEAR?
NWCWD is considering a 10% rate increase for all customers (residential, commercial, and wholesale). Even with this increase, NWCWD rates will be lower than others in the region.
WHAT ABOUT RATES AFTER 2020?
While rates for 2020 will be determined in the coming month, rate increases in 20201 and beyond will be impacted by the results of the November 2019 election. Voters will decide whether or not to approve a property tax increase of up to $5 million, not to exceed 5 mills. The chart below shows the predicted average monthly cost to a household. The blue line shows predicted monthly bills and the changes needed to follow the new rate calculation model. The green line shows predicted monthly costs to a household, including water bills and increased property taxes if residents vote yes for a mill levy.
COST OF SERVICE MODEL
NWCWD conducted a thorough study to calculate the true cost of providing water services to residents, commercial, and wholesale customers. NWCWD will use this information to determine what portion of total costs each customer class will cover. This rate calculation method is a best practice and is the fairest way to set rates for all customers.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
We have compiled some of the frequently asked questions received from customers. You can download them here or see below.
