Ephrata water rates to increase
EPHRATA - Ephrata plans to start increasing water rates next year.
The city council agreed to start increasing water rates to pay for a $7.2 million package of improvements to the system. The projects include rehabilitating Well 6, constructing a new well and increasing water pressure in the northeast and southeast sections of the city.
City Administrator Wes Crago said the construction will improve safety and comfort in the city along with improving the chance for the city to grow.
"Our fire flow is low in certain areas of town. We have old water lines that when there is a break contamination can be introduced into the water system and our well heads are not protected in a way that we would like to see them," he said.
He pointed out it costs less for the city to do preventative maintenance rather than act in an emergency.
City staff developed three possible plans to fund the construction. Residential customers living in the city with a 1 inch connection pay a base rate of $26.10 a month plus 55 cents for each 1,000 gallons they use.
The first proposal, called Plan A, suggested one $13 increase in the base rate and finish the projects by 2019. The second proposal, called Plan B, suggested a series of increases and finish construction by 2022. The third proposal, called Plan C, was between the two other plans, having higher increases than Plan B, but smaller than Plan A.
Ephrata resident Ken McLeod asked how much of Ephrata's water rights are used, if the increase of water pressure is necessary, and why the 2008 rate increase wasn't covering the cost of the fourth phase of the city's road and water pipe replacement project.
The city is using about 60 percent of the water it has the right to, Crago said.
"The problem is distributing it to where growth would occur. If the growth was next to a well, no problem. The problem is the growth is generally occurring in the northeast and southeast areas, which is quite a ways away from the supply system."
Public Works Director Bill Sangster said the water pressure for fire fighting is near the minimum allowed by code in some sections of the city.
"Until we get another well, until we get (the) pressure zone, until we get those other things, we won't be in, what I would call, a real comfort zone," he said. "That's why these projects are really important."
Crago said the city didn't anticipate the price of asphalt and pipe when it was planning the water pipe and road replacement project. The city also installed more water meters than it planned and needed to replace the road bed on A Street and First Street.
Jeanette Marbourg, an Ephrata resident, opposed raising the water rates, saying it would hurt people on fixed incomes.
"I think with the economy like it is, I think you're asking (for) an awful lot of money from the seniors and everybody else in the neighborhood," she said.
Mayor Chris Jacobson and Councilmember Ben Davis supported Plan A, saying the initial high increase would allow the city to take advantage of lower construction costs.
"I think by compressing this schedule you're going to see additional savings because of the construction bidding environment," Jacobson said. "That's not easy for people to swallow, I understand that. I'm about retired too, and I'm going to have to swallow that also."
The majority of other councilmembers sided with Plan C. Councilmember Stephanie Knitter pointed out the $13 increase is a large jump.
"I was looking at Plan B because of the lower rate to start out with because of the hard times that everybody is going through, but I think it's important to get to Well 6 and things like that," Councilmember Tony Mora said.