Royal City citizens concerned with water rates

Rates balanced for fairness, to fund repairs

ROYAL CITY — Royal City citizens are upset by their water rate increases.

The Royal City Council approved to adjust water rates so each citizen pays for what they use.

"We actually tried to do it scientifically and fair. In my mind there's a few inequalities. We tried to put all the figures in line," Mayor Justin Jenks said. "You've been getting a pretty good deal for a long time."

"Now we are going to get a very bad deal for a long time." citizen Darla Turner replied.

Turner rents several housing units and might have to pick up the water tab. She felt the short notice would upset her tenants.

Citizen James Bishop compiled data for the housing units Turner rents out.

Single-family residential water bills will increase 20 percent to 60 percent, he said. Multi-family residential bills will increase 107 percent to 250 percent, he added.

This is because the people who are renting are using a large amount of water. Tenants are using from 4,000 gallons of water to more than 60,000 gallons of water, he said.

"You can do just about anything you want with the numbers," Public Works Director Todd Perry said.

People use about 7,000 or 8,000 gallons of water per month in Royal City, he said.

When the rate change goes in effect Jan. 2 the maximum amount of gallons per single family residential unit goes from 18,000 to 12,000 and the price for gallons goes from $44.50 to $46.60, Perry said. The price for each additional 1,000 gallons of water after the maximum goes from $1.05 to a $1.50, he added.

"In this area we need to think about water conservation," Perry said.

The maximum number of gallons was reduced to encourage water conservation, councilmember Michael Stark said.

Turner asked if the increased cost meant an improvement in water quality.

Water in Royal City is ranked in the top five percent for good quality in the state among municipal water purveyors using wells, Perry said.

"We've got good water," he said. "What we are trying to do is produce clean, clear and pleasing to look at water."

Turner said many citizens do not like the water. Many people purchase bottled water and have filtration systems to cover up the taste, she said.

Water pipes under Daisy Street are under construction. The pipes were declared to be in a state of emergency to receive aid from the federal government, Perry said. Although the water is discolored when it comes out of the faucet initially, it is safe to drink after it is flushed, he added.

When brown colored water comes out of the faucet, allow the water to run until it is clear, Jenks said.

The water is discolored due to air in the system and the repair of the pipes. Some water flows to areas of unused pipe and comes back to the system when it is flushed out. Perry expects the problem to be fixed in January. He has been working on the problem several nights in a row, sometimes until 4 a.m.

The money generated will go toward necessary repairs to the city, Jenks said.

Approximately $2 million is expected to be generated from the six-year water plan, he said.

In addition to Daisy Street repairs, a generator for the citizens will be purchased in case of power outages and a city well repaired.

Jenks read a letter written by Kent Pratt. The letter stated the two-week notice was not sufficient and the increase discourages people from living in the city. Pratt suggested doing the increase gradually over a two or three-year span.

"I wouldn't say that it won't increase, but if it increases it will increase on an increment basis," Jenks said about following years.