Residents tearing open their water bills in February may notice
a 2 percent increase that took effect New Year’s day.
Morgan Hill – Residents tearing open their water bills in February may notice a 2 percent increase that took effect New Year’s day.
“It will affect us but I don’t think it will affect us that much,” said Cindy Peterson, a Belletto Drive resident with a large family and a swimming pool on a 13,000-square-foot lot.
Peterson said she pays about $150 per month during the summer.
“Water’s expensive, but a two-percent increase isn’t that much,” she said.
According to the Morgan Hill Public Works Department, the increase is necessary to cover rising costs of pumping water, which includes high electricity costs and maintenance.
Typical customers will see their bills rise by $2.50 from $38.50 to about $42, according to the public works department. The increase will generate $125,000 annually.
The rate adjustment is the third in three years and will help reduce the city’s projected water-operations fund deficit, according to Morgan Hill Finance Director Jack Dilles.
Water customers are charged monthly based on how many 750-gallon units they use. Different base rates apply for single-family homes and multi-unit dwellings such as apartments and condominiums. Water bills also include a fixed sewer fee of approximately $12.
The 15 percent surcharge on Morgan Hill water bills for perchlorate-related costs is not affected by the increase. The surcharge covers costs of operating ion exchange filters on two of the city’s 15 wells. The filters remove pollution from Olin Corporation’s nine-mile-long perchlorate plume in South County, stemming from the operation of a road-flair plant on Tennant Avenue.
The Central Coast Regional Water Quality Control Board has ordered the company to clean up the pollution. Meanwhile, the city continues to pursue recovery of all perchlorate related costs so water customers might be credited for money already spent on treating wells. The city estimates $3.5 million has been spent on perchlorate treatment since 2001.
Tony Burchyns covers Morgan Hill for The Times. Reach him at (408) 779-4106 ext. 201 or tb*******@*************es.com.
