Washington County’s water rates are projected to increase 51% from 2020 to 2045 – not 3,000% as reported by opponents of the Lake Powell Pipeline.
Today’s average water rate in Washington County is $2.64 per 1,000 gallons. By 2045, the rates are projected to rise to $3.98 per 1,000 gallons in today’s dollars.* That difference amounts to a 51% increase.
The increase will help cover the costs of all capital projects – including the pipeline – that are identified in the Washington County Water Conservancy District’s (district) current
Impact Fee Facilities Plan
.
The district’s funding strategy provides that impact fees on new construction will pay 75% of the new infrastructure costs. A combination of water rates and property tax will fund the balance. “This strategy keeps water rates reasonable and allows new growth to pay for new growth,” said Zach Renstrom, district general manager.
The district’s revenues will rise over the next three decades, but most of the increase will result from the county’s
projected population growth
and inflation rather than water rate increases.
*Expressed in constant 2020 dollars. The rate would be $6.54 per 1,000 gallons in 2045 if expressed in year-of-expenditure dollars. With an annual 2% inflation rate, the value of $6.54 in 2045 dollars is the equivalent of $3.98 in today’s 2020 dollars. The percent increase would be 148% over 25 years if reporting in year-of-expenditure dollars.
