Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Water Rates topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Arvada staff outline 2027 water, wastewater and stormwater rate proposals; typical household faces about $11.73 monthly increase
Summary
City staff proposed a 2027 rate package that would raise the fixed component of utility bills (goal: 20% fixed revenue) and would combine a $4 bimonthly fixed water fee plus an 8% volumetric increase (9.2% water), $3 bimonthly wastewater fixed plus 6.25% volumetric (8.9% wastewater), and a 35% stormwater increase, amounting to roughly $11.73 per month for a typical residential customer.
City utilities staff presented a recommended 2027 rate package in a July 28 workshop designed to fund prioritized capital projects, stabilize revenues in drought years and improve long-term financial resilience. Staff said the strategy includes a policy target of at least 20% of utility revenues coming from fixed service fees.
Jacqueline Rhodes and Chris Gray described the proposed near-term changes: a water plan that staff summarized as a $4 bimonthly fixed fee increase plus an 8% volumetric increase (a 9.2% total water change), a wastewater plan with a $3 bimonthly fixed increase plus a 6.25% volumetric increase (8.9% total), and a stormwater proposal built largely on a 35% volumetric increase staff estimated would average about $2.50 per month. Staff provided a representative residential example using a 90,000-gallon-per-year customer and estimated a monthly combined impact of $11.73 ($5.90 water, $3.33 wastewater, $2.50 stormwater).
Staff framed the policy rationale around predictable revenue for bond and capital planning and reduced long-term costs by funding proactive replacement rather than emergency repairs. Mary Stahl illustrated the difference by noting unit comparisons (for example, replacing roughly 10 feet of pipe as part of a planned project at about $3,000 versus significantly larger costs for emergency events).
Council members pressed staff for additional context: total-bill comparisons versus previous trajectories, red-only versus red+orange project scenarios, and the consequences if Denver Water were to require load shifting or surcharges. Staff agreed to return with more detailed scenarios at the Aug. 25 workshop and to provide benchmarking that shows the proposal's effect on total bills over time. Staff also noted the Oct. 6 and Oct. 20 adoption windows and a public hearing sequence tied to possible drought surcharges.
The discussion did not produce a final vote; council provided guidance and requested additional scenarios and comparisons before any formal adoption votes.
