In November 2018, the Denver Board of Water Commissioners adopted rate changes to fund essential repairs and upgrades to Denver Water’s system. These rate changes are effective February 1, 2019. Denver Water requires this rate revenue increase to fund the approximately $1.33 billion in capital projects over the next five years while meeting all financial policy requirements.
Denver Water has a large, intricate system with a lot of aging infrastructure. Your bill helps to maintain and upgrade a vast infrastructure that allows Denver Water to collect and treat and deliver safe, reliable water, while also providing for essential fire protection services.
To keep up with this necessary work, Denver Water is increasing the monthly fixed charge on your bill. The increase in your water bill depends on the type of customer you are and how you use water. Your bill is comprised of a fixed monthly charge and charges for how much water you use.
Every suburban customer will see an increase to their monthly fixed charge. If you’re like most residential customers who have a 3/4-inch meter, that charge will increase from $15.39 to $15.94 per month (increase of 3.6%). The treated water volume rate (charge per 1,000 gallons) will increase on average 4.8% for most customers but varies with water consumption.
Adding up those two elements, you can expect to see an annual increase between $23 to $41, which equates to $1.90 to $3.40 a month (based on an annual use of 102,000 gallons of water). Keep in mind summer bills are typically higher because of outdoor water use.
No one likes seeing a bill increase, but while rates are going up, Denver Water is committed to keeping water affordable, particularly for the essential indoor water use that is vital for drinking, cooking and sanitation.
If you’d like to talk over your bill with someone, contact Denver Water’s Customer Care team at 303-893-2444, and a representative will help you calculate your individual bill impacts, based on your personal water-use information.
