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May. 07, 2008
Copyright © Las Vegas Review-Journal

Sewer rates to go up July 1

Portion of increase will be used to improve wastewater treatment

By HENRY BREAN
REVIEW-JOURNAL

Kevin Forgione scrapes waste from a filter press Tuesday at the Clark County Water Reclamation District's main plant at the eastern end of Flamingo Road. A series of rate increases endorsed by the County Commission will improve not only maintenance of the sewer system serving unincorporated areas of the county, but also the quality of the treated wastewater that is returned to Lake Mead.
Photo by John Locher.

It's best not to dwell on the idea too much, but about 90 percent of our drinking water comes from the same place our toilet water ends up.

Clark County Water Reclamation District officials hope customers will think about that when they start receiving higher bills later this year.

A portion of the 33 percent rate increase approved Tuesday will be used to improve treatment methods for the wastewater that is released into Las Vegas Wash and on to Lake Mead, where it mixes with the valley's drinking water supply.

The rates will begin to go up on July 1 and increase annually over the next five years. Most district customers will see their annual sewer bills rise about $12 each year through 2013.

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    • The additional revenue will help pay for a $48.5 million pilot program for new filtration and disinfection methods that are expected to eliminate about 90 percent of the pharmaceuticals and other household chemicals discovered recently in Lake Mead in extremely small concentrations.

    District General Manager Richard Mendes said the pilot program is expected to go on line by summer 2010 and will treat up to 30 million gallons of wastewater a day, roughly one-third of the district's output, using a combination of micro-filters and ozonation.

    Depending on the results, the new treatment methods could be expanded for use on another 55 million gallons a day for about $64 million more.

    The valley's wastewater already undergoes extensive treatment before it winds up in Lake Mead, and all of the water drawn from the reservoir is treated even more before it is delivered to local taps.

    Mendes said the soon-to-be-piloted membrane ozonation process is merely one more measure of protecting water quality.

    "This is pretty new technology," he said.

    The district also plans to use money from the rate increase to recondition its more than 2,000 miles of sewer lines, "some of which has never been inspected or cleaned," Mendes said.

    The County Commission signed off on the new rates following a public hearing Tuesday.

    Before voting in favor of the rate increase, Commissioner Susan Brager called it a hard decision at a hard time when "resources from gas to bread to rice are going up."

    But of the handful of comments made during the public hearing, none came from district customers upset by the prospect of higher bills.

    Jane Feldman from the local chapter of the Sierra Club praised the district for raising rates to pay for preventative maintenance and new treatment technology.

    What Feldman objects to is the district's move toward universal rates and connection charges for all the areas it serves. That change would dramatically reduce sewer hookup charges in Moapa Valley and open the door to "leapfrog sprawl development" in the rural community, she said.

    Lance Rake from the Progressive Leadership Alliance of Nevada leveled a similar criticism.

    "People who are developers are going to like this deal because ... they can build subdivisions well away from the urban core, but that's not good for our community," Rake said.

    District officials have said the switch to universal rates and connection charges will help spread the cost of treatment upgrades throughout the system and avoid enormous rate increases in outlying communities where expensive upgrades are needed.

    This is the reclamation district's first rate increase since 1995, though valley customers were slapped with a surcharge last year to help pay for new facilities that will bypass Las Vegas Wash and release highly treated wastewater at the bottom of Lake Mead.

    Starting Jan. 1, the district also will begin to gradually increase the one-time charges paid by new customers who hook up to the sewer system.

    The district serves more than 200,000 customers in unincorporated Clark County.

    Even after the increase tops out in 2013, the district will still have some of the lowest rates in Southern Nevada and across the Southwest, Mendes said.

    Contact reporter Henry Brean at hbrean@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0350.

    Sewer Rate Increases
    The Clark County Water Reclamation District increased sewer rates by an average of 33 percent by 2013.
    Current $178.96
    Fiscal Year 08-09 $190.12
    Fiscal Year 09-10 $202.01
    Fiscal Year 10-11 $213.70
    Fiscal Year 11-12 $226.08
    Fiscal Year 12-13 $238.12

    *Fiscal year is from July 1 to June 30
    SOURCE: Clark County Water Reclamation District
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    urnuts wrote on May 08, 2008 12:41 AM: Which utility has not raised its rates yet? Every time you turn around; someone is raising their rates. I guess you have to make the stock holders happy. It's almost like I can do you one better, and besides the an** commission that over see these rate hikes are their bi**hes. Have they ever voted to deny a rate increase?


    Joe wrote on May 07, 2008 04:35 PM:
    What we realy need is some more pokr barrel projects and pay for more corupt inspectors!


    Buford wrote on May 07, 2008 01:36 PM: If the city increases in population, then that tax money from sales tax dollars and other means of taxing the new populous, wouldn't that be more than enough to compensate the need for new maintenance and expansion of our sewers. I mean, if you tax a couple of hundred thousand original Las Vegas homesteaders for new taxes, wouldn't there be 10 fold more money than needed. Why can't businesses just hire from within for good wages.


    pootywater wrote on May 07, 2008 12:52 PM: That explains all the corruption in Vegas-its not there fault-who knows what viruses they have from drinking toilet water.


    IP Freely wrote on May 07, 2008 10:43 AM: Hey - what is that brown thing floating in my glass of water?


    mfb wrote on May 07, 2008 10:22 AM: Anything with huge capital costs and low marginal costs, such as providing sewage services, is considered a naturally monopolistic industry. A profit-maximizing private owner could and would charge monopolistic prices.

    What that means is that without government regulation and/or operation, such as what we currently have, you would pay more than you currently pay. Probabably a LOT more.


    GladK wrote on May 07, 2008 09:43 AM: Yep, county officials just doing their jobs: Forcing everybody on fixed incomes to pay for new facilities so developers can continue making a killing stuffing ever more new tract housing into Las Vegas, and billionaire casino owners can keep building as if the party will never end.


    Frank wrote on May 07, 2008 08:34 AM: With all the increases going into effect, isn't it time to give the police and firemen a pay raise? I still can't over the fact that certain civilian employees of Metro are given a clothing allowance.Why? Having worked for Metro and seeing the job product given for the salary received, it remains a mystery.


    Frank wrote on May 07, 2008 08:30 AM: With all the increases going into effect, isn't it time to give the police and firemen a pay raise? I still can't over the fact that certain civilian employees of Metro are given a clothing allowance.Why?


    Wayne Sawchuck wrote on May 07, 2008 08:30 AM: It was Howard Hughes questioning how Vegas would be able to supply water back in the '60's who said "What we will have is a round trip sewer system". He may have been daffy, but he was right. With our out of control Water Authority planning to build the Mulroy Great Gouge water line from Northern Nevada, as well as tunnels under Black Mountain, it's obvious that we'll be paying through the nose for projects that eventually will serve very few. Foresight is important, but hindsight hurts. We're in big trouble, people...


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