For the first time in years, Tucson homeowners will be paying more for water and trash collection.
Fees for residential garbage collection and recycling, which have not increased since 2011, will rise from $16.75 to $20 a month, a $3.25 increase for a home with a 95-gallon trash container, the size most commonly used. The initial increase takes effect next month and a second increase set for Jan. 1 2024 would add another $3 bringing an average total monthly bill to $23.
Tucson has some of lowest monthly charges in Arizona for residential trash and recycling services, according to a city report. Residents of Phoenix, Tempe, Mesa, Scottsdale, Glendale, Chandler, Peoria and several other municipalities all pay more.
Tucson Water customers, who last saw a residential rate increase in 2019, will see their monthly bills increase by 5.5% in the new city budget year that starts July 1. The cost for 800 cubic feet of water — the amount used by an average home — would rise from the current $41.04 to $45.60, an increase of $4.56. It’s the first of several billing increases expected in future years to upgrade water delivery systems and cover rising water prices.
The surcharge for CAP water also is going up by 30 cents per 100-cubic-feet of water starting next month in response to the ongoing drought on the Colorado River.
Tucson City Council members, who unanimously approved the rate hikes at their Jan. 11 meeting, said the city been vigilant about keeping costs down but more money is needed to keep systems functioning at the level taxpayers expect.
Ward 2 Councilman Paul Cunningham pointed to a recent water main burst at East Speedway and North Kolb Road as evidence of the need for upgrades. “It’s exactly what happens when the system you’re replacing is 50 or 60 years old,” he said.
Tucson Water plans to better publicize its water bill assistance program for lower-income residents. More information is available online at tucsonaz.gov/water/low-income-assistance-program.
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