From The Grand Junction Daily Sentinel (Dan West):
The Clifton Water District will not be raising water rates in 2020 District Manager Dale Tooker announced Thursday, but it will raise its tap fee for its most popular-size pipe by $500…
While the district has seen expenses rise, it has been able to keep its water rate level since 2016, Tooker said, at $22 for the first 3,000 gallons. The tap fees don’t go toward operations, Tooker said, but are used for capital projects…
One major way the district has been able to reduce its costs is by identifying and replacing its oldest water lines, Tooker said. Replacing lines before they break and leak is much more cost effective, Tooker said. Replacing an old line before it is leaking is around 30% less expensive than doing so after a leak, Tooker said…
Tooker said the district was increasing its tap fee, the amount it charges to add a new customer to the district, to reflect the increased cost to the district.
The new fee will be $7,500 for a 3/4-inch by 5/8-inch water tap, which is the most common size tap in the district, Tooker said. All other tap fees will remain the same.
Tooker said, while the district could ask voters to authorize a property tax to go toward sewer operations, the Clifton District has managed to operate for nearly four decades without relying on tax money.