Las Vegas Valley Water District proposes series of annual rate hikes, beginning in early 2017

Funds from a proposed Las Vegas Valley Water District rate increase could soon be trickling down to improve aging pipes and pumps.

A Las Vegas Valley Water District committee has recommended increasing service charges and rates that would hike the average residential monthly water bill by 75 cents beginning in February. The district would use the money to fund maintenance, repair and upgrades of the district’s water delivery system.

With the new rates tied to consumption, customers who use less water will see smaller increases than bigger water users.

Under the proposal, the district’s tier rates and service charges would rise by 3 percent on Feb. 1 and increase by another 3 percent Jan. 1, 2018.

On Jan. 1, 2019 and in future years, water rates and service charges would be adjusted for inflation based on the Consumer Price Index, with hikes limited to between 1.5 percent and 4.5 percent.

Those inflation-tied incremental increases were viewed more favorably by members of the Citizen Advisory Committee than larger increases every few years, district spokesman Bronson Mack said.

“That’s easier for our customers to be able to adapt to, as opposed to the sticker shock of $5, $8, $10 increases every so many years,” Mack said.

The water district has a water rate increase calculator on its website that allows customers to plug in their account type, meter size and water usage to determine what their bills will be under the new rate scheme: https://www.lvvwd.com/apps/rate_compare_2017/

Average residential customers who use about 10,000 gallons monthly will see their bills rise to about $43.50, Mack said.

The district’s Citizen Advisory Committee recommended the increases because the water system in some areas is more than 50 years old and will require significant maintenance and replacement projects in coming years to address issues like leaking water pipes and service laterals. The district is also retrofitting water meters with back-flow prevention devices to comply with a state mandate.

The committee considered the “risk of not addressing needed asset management projects and risking service interruptions or infrastructure failures” and backed the district’s efforts “in prioritizing asset management projects and maintaining reliable water service,” the committee recommendations report states.

The committee also recommended the district:

* Begin charging a $10 turn-on fee for water service.

* Increase the facility connection charge for developers by 7.5 percent in each of the four years from 2017 to 2020. Beyond 2020, the facility connection charge would increase in accordance with the Engineering News Record Construction Cost Index. The charge has not increased since 2007.

* Charge customers who are in arrears for recording fees and lien-release costs.

The water district provides water service to more than 1.2 million people in Southern Nevada. The advisory committee met nine times after it was created in February to evaluate the system and make recommendations on service rules and water rates. Public workshops on the proposal are scheduled for Nov. 30 and Dec. 13.

At its December meeting, the district’s Board of Directors could set a public hearing on the proposal for January. If the rate increases are approved then to take effect in February, they would be reflected on customer bills beginning in March.

Contact Jamie Munks at jmunks@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0340. Follow @JamieMunksRJ on Twitter.