(ROSENBERG) - At the June 20 Rosenberg City Council meeting, council approved utility rate increases which will be effective Oct. 1. Residents can expect to see the rate changes on bills issued after that date. This is the city’s first increase in water and wastewater rates since 2016, and the first increase in subsidence rate since 2020.
Based on the rates approved by City Council, residential customers with an average household usage of 8,000 gallons of water will now pay $83.80 per month for water and wastewater services compared to $79.68 per month for an increase of $4.12. Of that $4.12, $2.32 is for water, $.60 is for wastewater and $1.20 is for subsidence fees – which is the Fort Bend County Subsidence District mandate that by the year 2027, 60 percent of water must be from a source other than groundwater. The city is currently meeting the 30 percent groundwater reduction mandate.
The city maintains a Superior Water System and officials say they are striving to maintain the city’s aging infrastructure without issuing debt. The rate increase will be used to help fund upcoming capital improvement projects to maintain the water and sewer system reliability.
Additional revenue is also needed to cover increased operating expenses that have occurred as a result of historic inflation. The cost of chemicals, water meters, technology, transaction fees and personnel have also all increased.
“Putting our city’s basic needs such as water and sewer first has always been a priority of the city,” said City Manager John Maresh. “In fact, the city placed over $9 million of American Rescue Plan Act funding back into critical water and sewer infrastructure projects, without issuing debt or raising rates, versus using the funding on other projects or social programs.”
For more information about Water Utilities call Citizens Relations at 832-595-3301.
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