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Denver Public Works
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FOR IMMEDIATE
RELEASE
June
14, 2015
Wastewater Rate Increase to Protect Against
Flooding, Update Aging Infrastructure and Keep Pace with Growth
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DENVER, CO –
Following a meeting that went into early Tuesday morning, the Denver
Public Works Department received approval from Denver City Council to
increase annual storm and sanitary sewer rates to help address a backlog of
needed storm drainage improvements and keep pace with growth.
The fee increase, which is
implemented over a five-year period starting in 2016, will support $383M in
citywide storm drainage improvements, water quality projects, and allow the
city to keep pace with annual sanitary system cost increases. The rate
increase will also help fund the Platte to Park Hill Stormwater Systems
program, which aims to protect life and property in neighborhoods east and
north of downtown that are most at risk for flooding. More about the Platte
to Park Hill projects can be found at www.denvergov.org/plattetoparkhill.
With the rate increase, the city
will be able to invest about $30 million annually in stormwater capital
improvement projects citywide - up from $20M annually. Denver will also
be able to increase the amount it spends on its sanitary sewer system from an
average of $2.5M per year to an average of $8M per year over five years.
“Denver
Public Works is grateful to Council for this opportunity to make a greater
investment in our city’s basic storm and sanitary sewer infrastructure, to
address aging and inadequate systems, reduce flood risks, improve water
quality and protect lives and property,” said Jose Cornejo, Executive
Director of Denver Public Works.
As a
result of the rate increase, the average residential rate payer will pay
roughly $23 more per year for the next five years for both storm and sanitary
bills combined. Denver’s storm and sanitary bill rates are currently
about $100 lower than the average for other larger Colorado cities. With
these proposed rate changes, Denver would be about $60 below the average in
2017, when the first full year of the rate change takes effect.
Denver Wastewater customers will receive information about
how the rate change will impact their bills and what it will fund when they
receive their bills.
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Tuesday, June 14, 2016
Denver Water/Public Works
