Effective last week, the City of Fayetteville has increased utility rates for water, sewer, and stormwater to cover increased costs related to those utilities.
“Costs have increased across the board for maintaining and operating these utilities,” said Public Services Director Chris Hindman, “including materials, fuel, and electricity.”
Hindman noted that many of the city’s water and sewer lines are over 60 years old in some areas. “The aging infrastructure is being evaluated and repaired to maintain system integrity,” he said.
Maintaining compliance with increased state and federal regulations has also cost the City more money. “We are currently working on the Lead and Copper Rule, which is required by the Environmental Protection Agency to inventory all water service lines in the City,” Hindman explained. “This one regulation has been a costly endeavor with time and other resources.”
Deteriorating stormwater pipes have also been a concern in recent years. An engineering study estimates repair costs to be around $23 million.
Effective August 1, 2024, stormwater rates have increased 5%, from $6.75 per ERU to $7.09. An automatic increase 5% per year on August 1, 2024 ending July 31, 2027.
The minimum water rate rose to $22.35, and the minimum sewer rate to $24.38 for residential customers who are not 65 years or older. Customers with a minimum bill of 2,000 gallons or less during the billing cycle will be charged $22.35 for water, $24.38 for sewer, plus any fees and taxes.
For those over age 65, the minimum water rate is now $19.04, and the minimum sewer rate is $21.32. During the billing cycle, senior customers with a minimum bill of 3,000 gallons or less will be charged $19.04 for water, $21.32 for sewer, plus any fees and taxes.
The minimum water rate rises to $41.03, and the minimum sewer rate to $44.04 for commercial customers. Commercial customers with a minimum bill, which is for 2,000 gallons or less, during the billing cycle, will be charged $41.03 for water, $44.04 for sewer, plus any fees and taxes.
For customers using more than 2,000 (3,000 for seniors) gallon minimum, an additional amount of $4.46 per 1,000 gallons will be charged for water, and $4.47 per 1,000 gallons will be charged for sewer. The sewer fees are billed based on water usage.
I have noticed everything went up in price during our current Democratic leadership. I’m not surprised to see local authorities raising rates. However, this is still my favorite ❤️ place to live. We will pay to stay. I can plan now. Thank you!