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Navasota to commission utility‑rate study after council hears persistent leaks and billing concerns
Summary
Staff recommended a utility rate study and impact‑fee analysis; council members and residents raised long‑running water‑leak complaints and a perceived mismatch between water and sewer charges.
City staff told the Navasota City Council on May 13 that the city should hire consultants to complete a utility rate study and an impact‑fee study to align rates with system costs. "I'd like to go ahead and bring in... a utility rate study and see, hey, where are our rates relative to our costs," Mr. Heminger, staff member, said.
Council members and residents raised repeated concerns about long‑standing water leaks, the cost of repairs and a perceived billing anomaly in which sewer charges appeared higher than water charges for some households. One council member said, "my sewage bill has been more than my water bill" and asked for a clearer explanation of how sewer charges are calculated. The speaker added that the city has spent roughly "60 plus thousand dollars" on repairs in similar contexts and asked whether hiring outside contractors to fix chronic leaks would be more efficient.
Staff described several steps already underway: a planned rate study, continued investment in utility capital projects and a GIS internship project from Texas A&M to build a field app for mapping valves, leaks and other infrastructure. The GIS intern will develop a field reporting tool so crews can upload geolocated photos and create a history of leak locations.
Why it matters: utility rates and billing formulas determine household bills and fund water/wastewater capital work. A rate study could recommend moving some costs to different rate components or phasing increases to smooth customer impact while funding repairs.
Council members discussed options for smoothing rate increases over several years rather than a single large adjustment. Staff cautioned that rates must cover operating and capital costs so the city does not defer needed maintenance. Mr. Heminger said that a rate study focuses on the city’s operational costs and probable capital projects, not a direct city‑to‑city comp arison of rates.
Staff said they will bring firm recommendations to council after the study, including options for phasing increases and aligning sewer‑billing methodology with system costs.
