Durham staff outline proposed water and sewer rate increases, cite Jordan Lake project as major driver

Durham City staff presented proposed water and sewer rates and a 10‑year financial model for the utility during a council work session, saying the city must finance major infrastructure projects including connection to Jordan Lake and ongoing rehabilitation of reservoirs and treatment plants.

The utility presentation highlighted system scale and costs: Durham manages four treatment plants, roughly 2,600 miles of pipe and about 106,000 customer accounts. Staff said long‑term capital needs tied to Jordan Lake and other projects push the utility capital program to nearly $2 billion over the next five years, with a single Jordan Lake‑related construction contract described as “generational” in scale. For a typical single‑family household using 108 cubic feet per month, staff said the proposed changes would raise the bill by about $2.41 per month.

City staff said the Jordan Lake work is likely to require major new borrowing. The presentation noted the city is negotiating governance and cost‑sharing agreements with other utilities and counties that…