Due to increasing operations and maintenance costs, the monthly fixed base rate will increase from $30.22 to $33.22 a month, This rate increase will also increase the amount of water included in the base rate, from 2,000 gallons to 3,000 gallons.
The base rate for usage above 3,000 gal will increase from $2.99 /1,000 gal to $3.29 / 1,000 gal. The rate of incremental increases, for additional usage, will be the same rate of increase.
The Capital Improvements costs were set in June and will remain at $14.00 per month.
Our rates were set in 2015 and had not changed until 2023. Through those years, the W.S.C. had absorbed minor increases in costs that the Water System experienced. Then in 2023 the base rate & water usage charges were increased along with the Capital Improvements charge to keep track with moving pricing costs. However, over the last year we have had unplanned supply line breaks in our system and have used contingency funds to make repairs and cover increases in consumables like electric, chemicals, propane and insurance costs. Our goal is to meet our Operations & maintenance costs, and minor consumable costs each month and to build up our contingency to be prepared for planned maintenance repairs.
We believe this increase should allow us to again maintain our services and not adjust them for a number of years.
While the goal of the W.S.C. is to allow the water rates to remain the same for as long as possible, in the event of an increase in any of the operational costs (such as Entergy, insurance, required laboratory testing, propane etc.) the W.S.C. will reevaluate the rates for potential increases since increases in these costs are unable to be controlled / absorbed by the W.S.C.
Pass-through costs from SJRA, LSGCD, TCEQ, may increase as those agencies increase their charges.
The increased rates take effect as of the meter reading that is obtained on September 12. Therefore, the first bill with the increased rate will be the bill for service from September 12 through October 13. That bill will be generated on October 24 and will be due November 16.
Thank you for your support of our service to y’all.
CMWSC Directors
The chart below shows the old rates compared to the new rates along with sample bill amounts for residents within the Cape Malibu subdivision.
(Rates for customers outside the subdivision, on Calvary and Coushatta, will continue to be 27% higher than customers within the subdivision.)