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Watapua Water Board approves FY26 budget of $16.86 million and sets water rate at $4.58 per CCF
Summary
The Watapua Water Board approved a balanced fiscal year 2026 budget of $16,859,529 and a water rate of $4.58 per hundred cubic feet to fully fund the budget; the move includes a plan to restore retained earnings and add $400,000 to stabilization funds.
The Watapua Water Board voted to approve a fiscal year 2026 budget of $16,859,529 and set a water rate of $4.58 per hundred cubic feet (CCF) to fully fund the enterprise fund.
Mr. Furlan, a water department staff member who presented the budget, told the board the proposed budget is balanced and described revenue and expense drivers, including recent federal and state regulatory changes (revised lead and copper rule, Administrative Consent Order requirements) and higher operating costs. He said the budget does not rely on retained earnings from the prior fiscal year.
The board discussed the consultant rate study (Raftelis), which recommended multi-year adjustments. Furlan said the department decided not to increase the base meter fee this year and instead applied a volumetric change to meet revenue needs. The board was told the adopted rate would raise the average household's annual bill by about $18.02, based on an estimated 53 CCF annual usage. The board also discussed stabilization funds: the department has roughly $795,000 in stabilization and the presenter recommended transferring $400,000 of certified FY24 retained earnings to bring the balance to roughly $1.2 million.
Board members framed the action as fiscally responsible. One member said the 34-cent per CCF increase includes 12 cents to replace one-time retained earnings used last year, leaving a net structural increase of about 22 cents per CCF.
Action and vote: the motion to approve the FY26 budget in the amount of $16,859,529 and a water rate of $4.58 per CCF carried by voice vote; the transcript records a unanimous "Aye" but does not list individual roll-call votes.
Details and outlook: the budget includes a larger capital contingency in the operating budget (moved from $250,000 to $350,000) to cover equipment or emergency repairs, modest labor cost-of-living increases, and small increases in electricity and other operating costs. Furlan said the department expects to continue monitoring federal grant availability and debt service obligations as part of multiyear planning.
