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Russellville council tables proposal to base new water bills on 10,000-gallon threshold
Summary
Council members delayed a decision after a rate study proposed ending flat-rate billing and billing at a 10,000-gallon baseline (about $75.40 for 10,000 gallons), citing concerns that the threshold is higher than neighboring towns and asking for technical review from RCAP and local consultants.
The Russellville council on March 3 tabled a proposed change to the town’s water-billing structure after members raised concerns about the study’s baseline and asked for outside technical review.
Chair opened discussion by summarizing the rate-study results presented by Steve Brock: the study modeled billing on a 10,000-gallon baseline, producing an estimated bill of about $75.40 for 10,000 gallons and a charge of $1.75 per 1,000 gallons for usage above that level. Under the plan, flat-rate customers would be moved to metered billing.
Several council members said a 10,000-gallon threshold appears unusually high compared with nearby towns. A member cited conversations with officials in neighboring municipalities who recommended a 5,000-gallon baseline or smaller incrementing tiers; one councilor said longstanding local usage patterns make 10,000 gallons an unlikely breakpoint for most residential accounts.
Members agreed to delay action until they could get additional technical assistance. Councilors discussed inviting RCAP (a free technical-assistance agency that helps small utilities) to review the study and consulting contracted expert Larry Tippen for peer review. The council voted to table the matter and seek those reviews; the chair said he expected updates at the next meeting.
The decision leaves day-to-day billing unchanged for now. Council members emphasized the need to reconcile the study’s assumptions with local consumption patterns and to obtain an itemized explanation of how the modeled rates would affect typical households and commercial accounts.
Next steps: the council requested a meeting with the outside consultant and RCAP, and a follow-up to return recommended thresholds and examples of customer bills before taking a vote.
