Farmers Branch staff explain recent water‑and‑wastewater rate changes, expand outreach and rebates
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Summary
Public Works told the Sustainability Committee that the city raised water and wastewater rates (first increase in about 10 years), removed a 10,000‑gallon sewer cap and is expanding rebates, smart‑meter tools and leak‑detection outreach to encourage conservation and help affected residents.
Public Works Director Ray Silvareas told the Farmers Branch Sustainability Committee that the city implemented new water and wastewater rates last fall after a consultant modeled five‑year needs to keep the utility enterprise solvent. Silvareas said the utility is supported by user charges rather than the general fund and the recent increase was intended to cover rising wholesale and treatment costs, operating expenses and capital projects.
Silvareas said the city removed an existing sewer cap that previously stopped charging sewer beyond 10,000 gallons, meaning heavy irrigation or very high household use now increases both water and sewer bills. “The reason for discharging water is we’re required by law to have a minimum residual chlorine residual, 0.5 milligrams per liter,” Silvareas said, explaining routine flushing and other operational actions that affect volumes and costs. He added the Trinity River Authority (TRA) is a major wholesale expense and that Farmers Branch had absorbed rising treatment costs for years.
Why it matters: staff said the change is aimed at sustaining the system and nudging conservation behavior. Committee members and residents pressed staff for additional support for households that see sharp bill increases and for ways to identify and help properties with leaks or misconfigured irrigation.
Program results and rebates: staff member Alex reported the city has replaced about 130–131 toilets through rebate programs, an initiative the presentation estimated saves more than 1,000,000 gallons annually. The city increased an irrigation‑checkup rebate from $50 to $75 and had roughly 16–17 approved applications at the time of the meeting. “We’re trying to put conservation front and center,” Alex said, urging the committee to emphasize rebate awareness.
Meter technology and leak detection: staff and residents discussed smart‑meter data and an online customer portal. Silvareas said the meters and software are in place but IT has not yet integrated interval data into the customer portal correctly, delaying public access to 15‑minute interval reads and automated alerts. Committee members suggested the city run bulk reports to flag meters that never record zero over a 15‑minute interval as a way to detect slow continuous leaks; the city’s meter readers already tag extremely high usage for follow‑up visits.
Infrastructure plan and costs: Silvareas outlined a 20‑year pipeline rehabilitation plan the city will present to council and said aging pipes and pump/lift stations require steady investment. He described the rate review as driven by three components — administration (including wholesale purchases), operations and capital projects — and noted it had been nearly a decade since the last increase.
Community requests and next steps: residents urged the city to research graywater options and to consider voluntary registration or targeted notices for existing irrigation systems that may have been installed before inspection records were retained. Staff agreed to research graywater feasibility, check permit and backflow inspection records for older installations and to follow up about bulk meter‑data capabilities. Alex said staff will follow up with committee members who requested further data and outreach options.
The committee did not take a formal policy vote on rate structure during the meeting but approved routine minutes and later set its subcommittees (see separate article). Staff said they will continue refining meter integration and expand outreach before further enforcement actions.
