The town of Clarkdale raised water rates for municipal customers last week with a unanimous vote from the Town Council at its Sept. 9 meeting.
The intent to raise the rates was given earlier this year.
The vote came after a required public hearing although no one from the public spoke either for or against the increase.
The new rates will take effect Thursday, Oct. 9, 30 days after the vote was taken.
The proposed rate increase raised the base water rates 6 percent, with 15 percent for the tiered rates — rates charged depending on higher volumes of water used, said Wayne Debrosky, Clarkdale public works and utilities director.
The current base rate for the average size residential water connection is $26.70 for up to the first 1,000 gallons; the new rate for the same amount will be $28.30.
“The goal is to keep those very low users as harm-free as possible,” Mayor Doug Von Gausig said.
Higher water-use tiers run from 1,001 to 5,000 and then in 5,000 increments up to more than 30,000 gallons, the top tier.
Users who go through more than 30,000 a month currently pay $9.60 per thousand gallons. Under the new rates, that charge will be $11.
The town of Clarkdale purchased the municipal water system in 2006.
To read the full story, see the Wednesday, Sept. 17, edition of the Cottonwood Journal Extra.
