This is a reminder that water, sewer, and storm drain rates will increase in 2019 as the final step of a 3-year plan to address infrastructure needs throughout the City of Fircrest.
The City had not raised these utility rates in at least eight years prior to the adoption of the 3-year plan in late 2016. The new rates will start effective Feb. 1, 2019 and you will begin to notice the increase on your April 2019 utility bill.
Rate adjustments for the water, sewer and storm drain utilities make the utilities sustainable, support the operation and maintenance of the utilities, and provide funding for capital improvements. Those projects include:
- Replacing the Alameda and Drake Street sewer lift stations.
- Repaying loans that were obtained to repair and replace the backyard sewer mains and 70- to 80-year-old pipelines.
- Repairing and replacing water mains, some of which are more than 70 years old.
- Painting and coating systems on the water tanks, which is necessary to preserve them.
- Improving The storm water outfall treatment system to help improve water quality where our storm water drains.
What can you expect? For Single Family Residential (SFR) within city limits, customers will notice a minimum increase of $4.25 per month ($8.50 for each billing cycle). Here is how that breaks down:
The “Water Ready to Serve” fee will increase $1.50 ($35.50 to $37.00). Water usage is billed by cubic foot (cf) based on tiers.
- Tier 1 usage will increase $0.0005
- (from $0.0104 to $0.0109/cf)
- Tier 2 usage will increase $0.0006
- (from $0.0157 to $0.0163/cf)
- Tier 3 will increase $0.0011
- (from $0.0261 to $0.0272/cf)
Sewer Base fee will increase $2.20 ($81.20 to $83.40)
Sewer Treatment will increase $3.80 (64.00 to $67.80)
Storm Drain fee will increase $1.00 ($33.50 to $34.50)
These rate schedules can be found in Fircrest Municipal Code 21.04, 20.12, and 20.16. For more information, please call the Public Works Department at 253-564-8900.