Little discussion took place as the Dripping Springs City Council unanimously approved a 5 percent increase in the city’s wastewater rates Oct. 9.
The increase, voted on by a 5-0 vote, is scheduled to go into effect immediately, Ginger Faught, deputy city administrator said in an emailed response.
Faught said Oct. 9 this is the first time Dripping Springs has proposed an increase in its wastewater rates. She said the increase applies to both residential and commercial customers.
Population growth in the area has meant more wastewater usage, which then leads to increasing operational costs, Faught said.
Approved changes to wastewater rates:
- Minimum usage charge: Previous: $25 ; Updated: $26.25
- Gallonage charge: Previous: $3.50 per 1,000 gallons; Updated: $3.68 per 1,000 gallons
The cost to manage the city’s wastewater is being paid partially by sales tax, she said.
The increase is necessary in order to gradually move away from depending on sales tax, and to have a system fully funded by wastewater payments.
While the increase will not offset all costs, Faught expects more gradual increases over time to pay for the system.
She plans to propose a higher rate for businesses next year.
Under the new rate schedule, a household’s wastewater rate is calculated by averaging the water consumption in the winter months, December, January and February of the previous year.
Faught said it offers a far more accurate measurement of how much water goes into the system compared to the summer months, where most water, used to water lawns, goes into the ground or evaporates.
Mayor Pro Tem Bill Foulds said the city has been offering wastewater management for at least seven years.
He said that with inflation costs, a waste management fee increase should be expected by all customers.
He estimates average costs for a residential home to be at $65.00 and with the increase see a $3.25 jump in their bill.
Foulds said he understands that certain commercial customers have different volumes and have different quality of wastewater. He said eventually the city will provide a differentiation so that tax payers are not subsidizing waste management for commercial customers.
“We are trying to stay as reasonable as we can,” Foulds said.
The city contracts with Severn Trent who maintains and operates the wastewater plant. The influx in growth in the area has required more work in keeping the system running. The city staffs employees to perform oversight of the work being conducted.
