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Friday, April 19, 2024
The City of Fort Worth is increasing its wholesale water costs again this year and as a customer city, Southlake is obligated to raise its rates as well.
As in past years, the reason for the increase is to allow the Fort Worth Water Utility to recover the cost of providing wholesale water to its member cities, including Southlake. There are several factors that drive the cost of water, including increased demand on resources, operating costs, cost of capital facilities and infrastructure, and debt service payments.
The impact on Southlake customers beginning with November 2015 consumption, will be 2.12% overall increase in tiered rates plus $1.85 for the first 2,000 gallons consumed to cover a small increase in the City’s water utility administrative costs. This means an average residential consumer with a 1” water meter will experience approximately a $4.91 monthly increase for 26,640 gallons of water. The same size meter for an average commercial consumer will reflect about $6.00 added to the monthly bill for 33,640 gallons of water.
Customers will see the rate increase starting with their December bills. For more information about the City of Fort Worth water department, please visit their website.
Customers with questions about their water bill can contact the City 24/7 through our website contact form or during business hours: (817) 748-8051.
What took three years to deplete, recovered in a matter of weeks thanks to the nearly 20 inches of rain that has fallen in North Texas over the last two months. Lake levels, which were hovering around 62% at the beginning of 2015, have surged to over 100% by mid-June. The end result is a reinvigorated and full reservoir system.
Full reservoirs doesn’t mean cities will be rushing to lift watering restrictions, however. In fact, very little will change with regards to the Southlake’s current (and permanent) twice a week schedule. The permanent twice per week schedule, adopted by ordinance in 2014, remains in effect as it is not impacted by the removal of drought restrictions by TRWD.
The reason for keeping the restrictions is about understanding the fickle nature of Texas weather. Despite the good news about the rain , the hot temperatures and the potential for reduced rainfall during the summer months may put renewed strain on local water sources.
“We’ve been fortunate with all the rain this year,but this last drought reminds Texans that the weather could change at any time,”says Environmental Coordinator Christi Upton. Upton adds, “I’m optimistic that, even if the weather changes, our residents have a good grasp on what it means to conserve. With the drought in fact, many Texans adopted creative new ways to do with less water and we are encouraging that to continue in their homes and in their communities. ”
And if the last few years have taught us anything, water conservation can be simple:
By regularly practicing any of the above, the average home can save thousands of gallons of water per home per year. According to the Tarrant Regional Water District, conservation measures (like those listed above) reduced demands on their reservoirs by 39 percent during a period of peak use, saving an estimated 112 million gallons per day since 2013. In short, water conservation works if you are actively involved in the process.
Keep the above tips in mind as we enter into the hotter months of the year and as rainfall frequency may decline. Even with the recent rainfall, it’s important to continue practicing conservation measures in order to reduce demand and prolong the area’s water supplies.