Tucson Water is proposing to raise a typical water bill by either 8.4 percent or 9 percent, beginning in July.
Average residential customers can expect an increase of about $2.50 or $2.69 on their monthly water bill, depending on which option is approved by the Tucson City Council.
A citizens advisory committee recommended the lower option while the higher option was recommended by city staff.
Multifamily, commercial and industrial customers also would pay more under the proposed budget.
The proposed rate hikes would raise $9.4 million to eliminate an anticipated shortfall in Tucson Waterβs fiscal year 2017 budget.
The water department also found ways to cut its budget by cutting back on consultants and surveys, slowing down on software purchases and pushing off some new construction projects that can wait until customer demand is higher, Director Tim Thomure said.
The department also is saving on power and chemicals due to lower demand, he said.
Tucson Water also increased its planned spending on helping low-income customers pay their water bills, he said.
The City Council will hold a public hearing and vote on the rate hike at its May 17 meeting.
RECYCLING FEES
The council also will have a public hearing and vote on May 17 about a proposed new recycling fee.
The fee would add 45 cents a month to residential trash bills and $10 a month to commercial recycling customersβ bills.
That would raise an estimated $767,100 per year for the Environmental Services Department to cover the cost of the recycling program until revenue from the sale of recycled materials rebounds.
Additional proposals include a 3 percent increase in commercial trash fees, a 7 cent per month increase in the groundwater protection fee, and a new 67 cent per month fee for code enforcement and graffiti abatement.
