Richardson residents could see their utility bills go up in any of the next five years. (Courtesy Adobe Stock)
Richardson City Council expects city utility fees to increase by approximately 3.5% annually over the next five years.
During the city council’s July 19 working session ahead of next week’s budget pullback, city officials presented the city council with a series of annual maintenance initiatives and capital improvements needed to ensure that Richardson’s water and sanitation infrastructure was in compliance with regulatory standards and future Requirements fulfilled.
“We consider this to be critical and essential improvements,” said Deputy City Director Don Magner. “Just as we will hopefully spend $ 100 million on the road program through a loan program over the next five years, this infrastructure is just as important to continue delivering the core services that the community has come to expect.”
The 3.5% increase in the supply rate for each of the next five years is an estimate, Magner said. The increase is never expected to be more than about 4% and never less than about 3%, he said. City officials said an increase of about 3% for the current year for the average Richardson resident would equal an increase in their electric bill of about $ 36 for the year.
For the city’s water system, planned improvements include an expansion of the Northside Pump Station, the addition of a 5 million gallon bottom storage tank at that station, a new transmission line from the Northside Pump Station to Alma Road, a new water line along Alma Road from the Renner Road to President George Bush Turnpike and a new waterline from Eastside Pump Station to Apollo Road. Magner said the benefits of the improvements would include greater operational efficiency and improved water pressure for taller users.
Improvements to the city’s sewer system include replacing pipes for Custer Road, West Prairie Creek Drive, and Glenville Drive, as well as sewer reconstruction projects and planning to replace the sewer on Greenville Avenue. The benefits of these projects include reduced wastewater overflows and improved flow capacity, according to Magner.
“This rate increase is not solely related to the improvements,” said Magner. “We also consider and account for the rate increases on the wholesale water front that we know of in northern Texas [Municipal] Water District plans and the rate increases we expect from North Texas, Dallas and Garland [for wastewater treatment]. ”
[ad_1]
