Customers within the city limits, in Pinal County and county islands will be paying more beginning July 1 for water from the Apache Junction Water District.
The water district board, comprised of Apache Junction City Council members, on June 16 voted unanimously to approve the fiscal year 2026-27 budget of $28 million and also re-adopting all existing and adopting new potable and non-potable rates, user fees and charges, service connection fees, and water acquisition fees for Fiscal Year 2026-27.
It includes a 5% base-rate increase for customers inside and outside the city and an additional 5% consumption-rate increase for those living outside the city limits, with both beginning July 1.
“We’re looking at doing a rate increase here to our base rate. Currently it is $33.11 to $34.77 — just a slight increase of 5%, but it doesn’t increase the entire bill by 5%,” Public Works Director Mike Loggins said during the May 19 meeting. “No change to our consumption rate, no change to our consumption tiers for those individuals or customers in the city limits. Outside the city limits and county islands we’re looking at a 5% increase to the base rate and a 5% increase to the consumption rate and no change in consumption tiers at this point in time.”
An average small-household customer in the city presently paying $33.11 for the base rate, $34.70 for the consumption rate and $7.19 in taxes for a total of $75 for 7,500 gallons of water per month would next fiscal year pay $76.83, an increase of $1.83 or 2.4% overall.
An average small-household customer in the county or in a county island presently paying $34.10 for the base rate, $50.35 for the consumption rate and $6.08 in taxes for a total of $90.53 for 7,500 gallons of water per month would next fiscal year pay $95.05, an increase of $4.52 or a 4.8% overall increase.
System connection fees are also increasing, Loggins said.
“(T)hese fees pay for those new developments for their portion of tanks, booster pumps, wells, treatment plants,” he said.
Single-family connection fees are $7,900 and are to be changed to $8,030. Multifamily connection fees are $6,620 and are to be $6,730. RV space connection fees are $6,550 and are to be $6,660.
Capital projects planned in 2027 include:
Install 12-inch waterline in Baseline from water campus 2 to Idaho, $750,000
Install 16-inch waterline in Tomahawk from U.S. Highway 60 to Southern, $600,000
Install electrical and pumping equipment at well 10, $2 million
Purchase effluent credits from Apache Junction Sewer District, $300,000
Replace and upgrade booster pumps at water campus, $4.2 million
Replace media in treatment train No. 1 and coat existing pipe at Superstition Area Water Plant, $300,000
Water/public works building, $2.25 million
Vehicles and equipment to be purchased in 2027 include:
Two new three-quarter ton service trucks, $130,000
One new midsize truck, $50,000
One pipe trailer, $30,000
Water district
The Apache Junction water district supplies well water (groundwater) pumped from the Eastern Salt River Sub-Basin Aquifer, which flows southwesterly under Apache Junction and its surrounding areas. The groundwater is treated for arsenic removal where necessary, disinfected with chlorine, pumped into storage tanks and blended with Colorado River (surface) water.
The surface water is transported through the Central Arizona Project canal system and filtered and purified at the Superstition Area Water Plant before being introduced into the distribution system.
The water district can also receive treated CAP water from the city of Mesa through an interconnect for a backup supply of water, if needed.
Richard H. Dyer can be reached at rdyer@iniusa.org, or on X @rhdyer. Please submit comments at yourvalley.net/letters or email them to AzOpinions@iniusa.org. We are committed to publishing a wide variety of reader opinions, as long as they meet our Civility Guidelines, https://www.yourvalley.net/civility-checklist/.
Meet Richard Richard Dyer has worked at Independent Newsmedia Inc. USA since 1987, starting his career in Apache Junction as a copy editor and being promoted over the years to work as the editor of the Mesa Independent, news services editor for the East Valley office in Apache Junction, managing editor for the East Valley office, news services editor for the East Valley office and eventually also for the newspapers at INI’s then-Chandler office, managing editor again and as a news editor covering Apache Junction/Gold Canyon and Queen Creek. He helped start the Florence Independent while the news editor covering Apache Junction and Mesa news. In January 2023, he became associate managing editor for the East Valley newspapers and in August 2023 became managing editor for the East Valley newspapers of Chandler/Tempe, Gilbert, Queen Creek, Florence, Mesa and Apache Junction/Gold Canyon, while also reporting on Mesa and Apache Junction/Gold Canyon.
Community: Since 2009, he has worked as a volunteer to design The Blue Guitar Magazine, Blue Guitar Jr. magazine and Unstrung magazine, which are projects of The Arizona Consortium for the Arts; and since 2014, has been overseeing the art submissions.
Education: University of Arizona with a master of arts in journalism and a bachelor of science in agricultural communication. Also continuing education at Mesa Community College in welding in a metal art sculpture class.
Random fact: Saw his first tornado on May 31, 2010, which was classified as an EF-2, as part of a stormchasing tour group.
Hobbies: He is an artist of welded-steel sculptures, selling his artwork at juried and non-juried art shows.
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