Community Corner
Belmont Water Rates on the Rise
Mid-Peninsula Water District's new five-year rate plan kicks in July 1. A typical single-family water bill will be about $7 higher per month.
Starting July 1, Belmont residents will notice a nine percent water service rate adjustment on their bills.
In May, the Mid-Peninsula Water District advised customers of the increase in rates, explaining that the rate hike was designed to support the district's water distribution infrastructure, emergency preparedness measures and operational needs.
According to a notice sent out to customers earlier this month, MPWD, relies on imported treated water from the San Francisco Public Utility Commission for 100 percent of its water supply. And the utility's aging Hetch Hetchy water infrastructure will undergo a multi-year capital improvement project known as the Water Supply Improvement Program (WSIP), at the cost of $4.6 billion.
MPWD is one of 27 regional water agencies that purchase water from SFPUC, and they will each share in the cost of funding the WSIP through increased wholesale water rates.
Locally, the MPWD will be performing upgrades to its equipment fleet, communications systems and water meters.
The fiscal year 2013/14 capital program totaling $1.9 million includes:
- Construction of the replacement Buckland Tanks water storage tanks
- Water mains replacement
- Automatic meter change outs (approximately 900 total)
- Equipment replacement
- Computer/SCADA systems upgrades
- Radio technology equipment replacement
Although rates will vary based on meter sizes and water consumption (residential and commercial), as a result of the 9 percent rate increase effective July 1, a typical single family water bill will be about $7 higher per month.
For more information on the MPWD rate increases and capital improvement projects, go to http://www.midpeninsulawater.org.
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