Water rates in Longmont could increase 59% over the next five years, under two plans proposed to help the city upgrade, repair and replace its infrastructure.
Elected officials have analyzed two schedules for the increases: Both would raise the average residential monthly water bill by $14.40, or 32%, by 2027. But Option B stops there; future increases would be dictated by a Capital Improvement Plan (CIP), which the city hopes to develop over the next three years.
Option A maps out five years of increases, allowing for more predictability in rates, city staff wrote in notes to council. That plan would also require $15-$20 million from the water utility’s reserve fund, set aside for emergencies and large projects.
City council will vote on the proposed schedules in October.
Regardless of which option is choses, Longmont residents will see an average $13.56 increase in their monthly bills in 2025, or 6.2%, on top of a 4% increase that was implemented at the beginning of this year. Projected increases will be less for residents receiving water assistance through Longmont CARES.
Longmont’s water utility has seen reduced operating income since the COVID-19 pandemic, largely due to the higher cost of paying back its debt driven by inflation. The city hopes to fund $77 million in capital projects through rate increases, and a further $90-$100 million worth of projects through voter-approved debt.
Planned projects include expansion of a water treatment plant and replacement of two aging storage tanks.