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Louisville residents can expect to see an increase in their water bills in June, following the City Council’s approval earlier this week to increase water utility rates. During the Tuesday city council meeting, the council unanimously voted to increase water fee rates, which is expected to make the average water bill increase by $10. A 6% increase in water utility fees, a 16% increase in wastewater fees and a 14% increase in stormwater fees was recommended by Public Works and Utilities Director Kurt Kowar.
The rate increases will be effective in May and will be reflected on June water utility bills. The average increase of $10 on water bills is based on an average household water usage of 9,220 gallons per, Kowar said. The increase is also an average taken from the course of the year, as most households use less water in the winter and more water in the summer.
The water utility increase is on track with the city’s projects, Kowar said, as the city catches up with 2019, 2020, 2022 and 2023; years where there was no increase in water rates. City officials have an upcoming flood plain management project planned, which will be funded by the stormwater fund, as well as wastewater plant improvement projects and wastewater maintenance projects funded by the wastewater fund. The fee increase is designed to help fund those upcoming projects.
“I think we have a utility that is in a great place; we try to keep things proactively taken care of,” Kowar said. Louisville has a lower average residential water utility bill when compared to neighboring municipalities like Boulder, Superior or Lafayette, according to city materials. The average residential water bill in Boulder is about $140 per month, based on an average usage of 9,220 gallons, whereas the average bill in Louisville is approximately $110, according to city materials.
Residents can contact Sister Carmen Community Center if they need financial help paying their water bills, Councilmembers Judi Kern and Josh Cooperman both said. The Tuesday city council meeting also served as City Manager Diana Langley’s first meeting. Samma Fox served as interim city manager while city officials searched for a new city manager, and Fox returned to her role as deputy city manager.
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