COEUR D’ALENE, Idaho – Retired resident Jack Bauer is facing concerns over a potential water rate hike in Coeur d’Alene. On a fixed income, Bauer, who spends his afternoons enjoying the summer scenery, finds the prospect worrisome. “It would be harder for me,” he said.
Before speaking with NonStop Local, Bauer was unaware of the proposed hike. “It’s the first I heard about it,” he stated. Although he acknowledges that the increase might not trouble most residents, he emphasized, “It would for me.”
Kyle Marine, director of Coeur d’Alene’s Water Department, will present the plan to the city council on Tuesday. He explained that the current base rate is insufficient to maintain the water systems. “Currently, we’re not keeping up with the needs of replacement… a base rate customer is not enough money to pay for the replacement of just their service,” said Marine.
Previous price increases used a stepped rate structure, which gradually increased bills each year, but according to documents submitted to the city council, this did not effectively reduce water consumption. The new proposal offers several rates for the council’s consideration.
“One of the base rates minimum was 8.6% base increase across the board will help pay for the needs of the infrastructure across the system. So every person is going to be a little bit different depending on the amount of water they use,” Marine stated.
Under this proposal, the base would increase by 8.6% over eight years. Under the full capital plan, residents would see a 22% increase for three years, and then a 2% increase for the next five years.
Marine acknowledged potential frustrations and encouraged people to shift their perception about water charges. “We’re not necessary charging for the actual water. We’re charging for delivering the water to your house at a reasonable pressure and adequate flows,” he explained.
During peak summer months, increased demand for water delivery, irrigation in the middle of the day and broken sprinkler systems strain the system.
This plan is designed to address those concerns by increasing the water rate to make repairs possible.
