Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Utilities topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Staff briefs council on water and sewer fund, rate comparisons and planned projects
Summary
City staff outlined water/sewer guiding principles, capital projects and a Dallas Water Utilities survey comparing Coppell's average customer water/sewer bill to peer cities; staff said Coppell's combined customer bills are toward the lower end and previewed a fall rate review.
City staff presented the water and sewer fund overview and comparative rate data on July 14, telling council the fund should be run as an enterprise with rates that allow the city to operate and reinvest in the system. Staff said the city's water infrastructure is relatively young and that planned projects include leak detection, instrumentation upgrades, utility work tied to street projects and lift‑station improvements.
Staff shared a Dallas Water Utilities survey that compared combined residential and commercial water/sewer bills among DWU client cities using an apples‑to‑apples usage assumption (winter average sewer and a specified residential water volume). The survey showed Coppell’s average customer charge toward the lower end of the peer group, staff said, and noted the city will return in the fall for a formal rate review and proposed rate adoption.
Council asked whether drainage‑utility needs overlap with water/sewer budgets (staff said drainage is a separate fund) and requested fund‑balance projections and project lists before a formal rate decision. Staff said current projected expenditures include conservative budgeting for potential Dallas Water Utilities cost increases and that the fund has sufficient days of operating reserves under city policy.
