Baker City shortens water billing cycle while reconciling past reads; staff reports many leaks found

City staff told the council June 24 that Baker City is completing a multi-part reconciliation of water bills and will shorten the billing cycle from four weeks to three until the backlog is cleared.

Staff explained they are finalizing the last reconciliation zone and expect to issue that bill the week after the meeting. Zones 5 and 6 have already received a second bill covering reconciliation adjustments, and zones 7 and 8 will receive their next bills the following week. Once complete, bills will show meter reads and usage-based charges rather than the interim averaging used during the transition.

Staff said the reconciliation process has identified a substantial number of leaks; repairing those leaks should reduce future water consumption. They also noted customers have largely been understanding during the billing adjustments.

The council received the update and asked staff to continue outreach to affected customers. No council motion was required for the billing schedule change; staff said they will return with confirmation once the final reconciliation bills have been sent.