The Town of Wellington is implementing a water utility rate increase effective Oct. 1, 2020.
Users can expect to see the adjustment on their bill arriving in November. The base rate has increased $16.14, from $18.86 to $35.00. The tier structure is changing as follows:
| Usage | Rate per thousand (gallons) | Increase from previous rate |
Tier 1 | First 15,000 gallons | $4.56 | $0.91 |
Tier 2 | Over 15,000 gallons | $5.70 | $1.77 |
Tier 3 | Over 30,000 gallons | $7.72 | $2.78 |
The Board of Trustees voted between three scenarios at the September 22nd meeting. After months of discussion, scenario two – a more gradual rate increase – was adopted to give users more time to adapt and prepare. This decision was made after an in-depth study, conducted by Woodard & Curran Inc., deemed the rate increase necessary to align the cost of service with the utility rate. This increase is the first of two users can expect to see with the next change beginning in January 2021.
The Town recognizes the difficulty of this increase during the COVID-19 pandemic. To aid those who have been financially impacted, an Individual Hardship Assistance Fund is expected to open for applications on October 5, 2020. This fund can be used to cover the cost of utilities and will not have to be paid back.
The cost to provide service has increase exponentially, prompting this change after 5 years without any prior rate increases.
3 Main Reasons for Increase:
- Capital improvement to maintain State of Colorado water quality standards
- Rising cost to purchase water
- Expanded infrastructure needed to meet growing demands
We are confident this rate increase is necessary for us to continue providing safe water to Wellington residents for years to come. If you have questions or would like to learn more click here to view additional information and our FAQ's.