The City of Chandler recently posted new information on its website about proposed utility rates that would take effect in January 2024, if approved by Council later this year, along with a news release pointing to the information available online.

The city manages and operates water, wastewater, reclaimed water, and solid waste utilities, and it is proposed that utility rate increases be made to fund rising ongoing operating costs as well as capital construction materials and related debt service costs.

Operating costs such as chemicals and electricity that are essential to the processes of providing safe drinking water and treating wastewater continue to increase, and we have also seen increases in our contract costs for solid waste and recycling collection.

Capital construction materials and related debt service costs also are anticipated to increase related to water and wastewater facility improvement projects focused on aging infrastructure such as main replacements, well construction and rehabilitation, and sewer assessments and rehabilitation.

These proposed water and wastewater rate adjustments incorporate the results of our most recent cost-of-service study, which was completed in 2021.

A study analyzes the actual demand and impact each customer class has on the utility system, and then allocates the costs of providing these services to each classification based on their unique characteristics.
This process identified some necessary shifts in the rate structure to ensure each customer class is paying their fair share for the services provided.

These adjustments will have impacts on single-family, multi-family, non-residential, landscape, and industrial customer classes for water; and single-family, multi-family, and non-residential customer classes for wastewater.

Additional details about these impacts are listed on the city’s website.

The reclaimed water and solid waste rate and fee changes that are proposed are based on revenue requirements to meet the increasing costs associated with these services.

Changes to the current Recycling Solid Waste Collection Center and bulk pick-up policies are also recommended.

The proposal is to allow for up to four free visits to the center (for the first 400 pounds per visit) or scheduled bulk collections per calendar year in any combination.

Any additional visits to the RSWCC will be charged $10 for as much weight as 400 pounds, with loads heavier than 400 pounds being charged the per-ton rate of $50.

Any additional bulk collections would be charged the current rate of $30 per collection which is proposed to increase to $35 in January 2024.

To read more and review a full list of proposed rate increases, go to this link.

We’d like to invite our readers to submit their civil comments, pro or con, on this issue. Email AZOpinions@iniusa.org