File photo
File photo
The North Texas Municipal Water District (NTMWD) Board of Directors has finalized a budget for the 2021 fiscal year that will not increase the cost of the wholesale water rate.
According to the NTMWD, the adopted budget will keep the the wholesale water rate at the current level of $2.99 per 1,000 gallons of treated water for member cities. The district used reserves and reduced spending to help keep rates flat.
“I appreciate how hard our staff worked to adjust plans, projects and programs to decrease spending and minimize impacts on our cities,” Rodney Rhoades, interim NTMWD executive director, said. “This is the first time since the FY2006 budget there is no increase in water rates."
The final water system budget limits cost increases, unless related to new or expanding facilities, and shifts capital project funding to use reserves and debt to mitigate increased costs in some areas. To offset an increase in the cost of chemicals used in the water treatment process, NTMWD achieved savings through delayed projects, increased revenue from cities with new contractual minimums, and use of the newly established Rate Stabilization Fund.
These actions helped keep the water rate flat, while maintaining a high level of service.