GATESVILLE, Texas (KXXV) — Gatesville city leaders are considering a proposal to raise community water rates as they address aging infrastructure, regional growth and low lake levels.
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City Manager Brad Hunt said the increase is aimed at funding capital improvement projects necessary to maintain and modernize water and wastewater systems.
“These proposals for capital improvement projects are to maintain current services – to upgrade facilities that are sometimes 38 to 40 years old, with very little to no upgrade or modernization,” Hunt said.
Some of Gatesville’s water infrastructure dates back to the 1980s. Hunt said the goal is to ensure the city can continue providing reliable service for years to come.
“Regionally, we talk about water security and what the next 30 years are going to look like – and water will start being an asset to communities. We want to make sure we do our part to preserve our assets here,” Hunt said.
The proposed change would increase the average monthly water bill by about $30.
According to Hunt, the city applied for grants in hopes of reducing the financial burden on residents.
“We had been submitting to the Texas Water Development Board an application for a grant to cover a lot of the cost of these necessary capital improvements. We submitted for about $66 million. We came in 25th out of 350 applicants, but we were skipped over in the process due to some categories or categorization of the needs,” Hunt said.
The Gatesville City Council is expected to hold its final vote on the proposed rate increase at the end of October.
“We know that we’re asking to increase the rate, but there is a reason for that – and that it is an urgent need at this point. It has not been taken lightly. That is more money out of folks’ wallets, that’s causing them to have to spend more to have their water service and their wastewater service,” Hunt said.
