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Newcastle approves four‑tier water rate increase; council directs mirroring of Oklahoma City hikes beginning 2027
Summary
The Newcastle Public Works Authority approved a four‑tier volumetric increase for residential and commercial water rates starting January 2026 and agreed to automatically mirror scheduled Oklahoma City wholesale increases beginning January 2027 to curb an expanding MPWA deficit.
Newcastle’s public works board approved a change to the city's water‑usage rates Thursday after staff warned that scheduled wholesale increases from Oklahoma City were creating a growing budget shortfall.
City manager Kevin told trustees that Oklahoma City’s ordinance locks in phased wholesale increases through 2028 and that Newcastle’s take‑or‑pay reservation (about 2,048,000 gallons per day) makes the city liable for costs even in low‑use months. "We budgeted a $600,000 deficit in MPWA. That cannot continue," Kevin said during the presentation. He showed a recent Oklahoma City wholesale bill of $233,934 and said the scheduled…
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