Clark County Commission approves water rate increase to begin Feb. 1
Las Vegas Valley Water District customers can expect to see their bills inch up starting in March.
The Clark County Commission, which serves as the district’s board of directors, unanimously approved a series of rate hikes Tuesday to help pay for repairs and upgrades to the utility’s water distribution system. Some of those pipes, pumps and reservoirs are now more than 50 years old.
The first phase of the rate hike — a 3 percent boost in the district’s tiered-consumption rates and service charges — takes effect Feb. 1 and will mean about 75 cents more a month for the typical residential customer.
Another, similar increase is scheduled for Jan. 1, 2018, and will be followed in future years by adjustments tied to inflation but limited to between 1.5 percent and 4.5 percent annually.
Water district General Manager John Entsminger said the higher rate structure is needed to fund “reinvestment” in the valley’s aging infrastructure.
“While we realize that no one likes to see their water bill increase even a little, we believe the small adjustment is more than warranted when you consider the importance of reliable water delivery in the desert,” Entsminger said in a statement.
The new rates apply only to water district customers. Residents and businesses served by other water utilities in Henderson, North Las Vegas, Boulder City and elsewhere will not see the increase.
Contact Henry Brean at hbrean@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0350. Follow @RefriedBrean on Twitter.