Jersey Village utility bills set to increase this fall

The rate increase will allow the city to keep up with the utility infrastructure and a rising consumer price index as part of the utility fund, Segundo said. The specific amount of the increase is difficult to speculate as bills reflect the amount of water and wastewater used by individual residents, he said.

The approved plan, which covers the next five years, calls for the completion of a secondary connection line to the City of Houston, water plant upgrades located in the Village and Seattle Street, backup generators for certain facilities and a continuation of the sewer rehabilitation program, which began in the early 2000s.

Monthly utility bills are the only source of water and wastewater funding, as utilities for the City of Jersey Village are not paid through property taxes. However, utility fund obligations may include maintenance and replacement of water lines, improvement of plant operations and the purchase of surface water. It is also necessary to provide reserves for prolonged natural disasters, according to the study by Red Oak Consultants.

"We've made significant improvements to the system [during] street improvements, which includes upgrades to the water systems [and] the replacement of water lines," said Mike Castro, city manager.

Customers should see the new rates during the November billing cycles, Segundo said. Some of these changes may be reflected on the Sept. 25 billing cycle, according to the ordinance passed by City Council.

Other aspects of the new rate structure include:

Reduction of current water rate structure from seven billing blocks to five

Adjustment of the rate schedule

Service charges for municipal customers

Basic service fee for customers with a second meter