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Utilities: commissioners approve clarifying edits to 2025 rate schedule; staff reports quarterly update on integrated water master plan
Summary
The board approved clarifying edits to the utilities rate schedule (no change to the October 1 rates) and heard an update on the county’s Integrated Water Master Plan, which includes demand forecasting and a prioritized capital-improvement program; staff said a detailed hydraulic model update will be paid from project contingency.
The Board of County Commissioners approved minor clarifying edits to the format and footnotes of the county utilities rate schedule on Sept. 9; the changes adjust wording and clarify deposit and service-line policies but do not alter the October 1, 2025 rate increases previously adopted by the board.
What the board approved: The resolution modifies descriptions and footnotes in the rate booklet so customers can more easily determine which rates and footnotes apply to particular accounts — for example, clarifying how security deposits are handled after 24 months of on-time payments and explaining when service-line extension charges apply for property owners who have not previously paid assessments.
Why it matters: The board approved a two-step rate adjustment in 2024–25 to address long-running inflation and deferred rate adjustments. Finance staff reminded the board that even after the scheduled increases the county’s average water-and-sewer bill will remain at or below neighboring utilities on the Treasure Coast, and the edits approved Sept. 9 were intended only to clarify wording and implementation.
Integrated Water Master Plan update: Staff also presented a quarterly update on the Integrated Water Master Plan (IWMP), a county-led study that combines water, wastewater and reuse planning, models demand under 20- and 50-year scenarios, and will produce a prioritized 20-year capital improvement plan. Consultants have completed condition and performance assessments of treatment facilities, begun hydraulic-model updates, and held stakeholder and public meetings. HDR, the consulting firm, is developing future service-area concepts and five alternative supply options, and staff reported they will add an extended-period simulation (EPS) hydraulic model for the sewer system; that modeling work will be funded from the project contingency authorized when the BCC approved the master-plan contract.
Next steps: Utilities staff said they will complete hydraulic model upgrades, finalize demand projections and return later with a prioritized CIP and funding scenarios. The voter-approved capital program and rate schedule implementation will depend on the results of the IWMP and decisions on phasing and financing.
Ending: Commissioners emphasized the need to prioritize sewer extension work where it improves water quality (noting state timelines to address septic impacts) and asked staff to keep the board informed as the model work and CIP develop.
