One question that has been raised among residents during Airway Heights’ water situation centered on the city’s water billing process.
City Manager Albert Tripp said staff were contacted by residents who were concerned about the increase in their water bill from this last billing cycle — April 19 to May 18 — and wondered if the perfluoro chemicals in the city’s water contributed to the increase.
On May 16, the city notified residents that two of its wells tested for perfluoro contamination above the city’s Environmental Protection Agency’s 70 parts per trillion (ppt) advisory levels.
Tripp explained the city’s water restrictions would not contribute to the increase as only two days of the water restriction’s time period fell in the last billing cycle. If a resident saw an increase in their bill, it would likely be due to how much water they used. He said the first two weeks of May are typically hotter and as it gets warmer, more residents are irrigating their lawns.
Another factor that would contribute to an increase in a resident’s bill is a leak or break in their plumbing. Tripp said people can have staff come to their home and use a water meter to find the source of the leak. If the leak is found outside of the property and not a result of the facilities on the land, or there is a physical break in the water line, residents can complete a water leak mitigation form.
The city’s water billing is based on three components. The first is a base rate of $13.25.
The second is a consumption charge that is broken into three tiers:
• Residents who use less than 7,000 gallons a month are charged $1.65 per thousand gallons,
• People who consume between 7,000-18,000 gallons pay $2 per thousand gallons and,
• Those who use 18,000 or more gallons, are charged $2.40 per thousand.
“The less you use, the less you pay,” Tripp said. “The more you use, the more you pay.”
The final billing component is a tax rate of 19.8 percent of the base rate and consumption charge.
For example, a resident who uses 5,000 gallons in a month will be charged the base rate, a consumption charge of $1.65 per thousand gallons and the tax of $4.26 with a bill total of $25.76.
Tripp said the city has set up its water system as an enterprise fund. The rates are set to pay for the system’s operation and maintenance.
Another concern from residents is the city’s backflow program. To protect the city’s water system from possible backflow of contaminated water from private property, the city installs a backflow assembly in each house.
“There were some who were frustrated and questioned the purpose of having the program given the recent events,” he said.
Al Stover can be reached at [email protected].
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