EPWU stormwater fee likely to increase next fiscal year

Storm water fee rates are likely going up so El Paso Water Utilities to begin projects to protect the city from floods.

EPWU’s Public Service Board is looking into which rate increase option to choose, after being presented with two during a stormwater workshop Monday night.

The options look ahead based on a five-year timeline. The first is a rate increase of 8 percent every year. The second is a rate increase of 17 percent every other year.

Staff recommended the board choose the lower rate.

For a typical residential customer, the 8 percent increase translates into 24 cents more per month, or $2.88 a year.

EPWU took over the storm water system from the city in 2008 and a lot of progress has been made. Some of the projects include dams, drains and ponds but the utility says it needs more money for the planned $650 million in projects identified and passed in 2009.

Several ratepayers expressed their disapproval to board members at the meeting.

“In El Paso, these so-called floods happen every three to six years,” ratepayer Raul Ramirez said during public comment at the meeting. “I was thinking recommending to the board, the PSB to concentrate diverting more money to flooding on the freeway and holding out on these smaller projects.”

EPWU President and CEO John Belliew believes ratepayers are upset about the possibility of an increase because it’s cumulative with other recent increases they see, such as health care and property taxes.

The board has until January to approve the budget that begins in March 2015. They plan to have at least a couple more meetings before voting on the possible rate increase.