Hillsboro water and sewer customers will see higher rates on their next bills.
Those rates have been raised by 3 percent, and those higher rates will be reflected on bills for the period from July 15-Aug. 15.
The Board of Alderpersons voted 7-0 on June 3 to approve the 2024-2025 rate increases. Hillsboro Ward 4 board member Ron Belcher was absent from the meeting.
The higher rates are part of scheduled increases implemented in 2021 after the council commissioned a study of municipal water and sewer rates. Under the schedule, the rates will increase by 3 percent each year for five years.
City Administrator Jason Daniel said the water and sewer rates study was completed in 2019, and it indicated rates needed to increase to keep pace with operational costs, system repairs and upgrades.
The board approved the increases in 2020, and they were first put in place in 2021.
“We’re currently in year four of the five-year program,” Daniel said.
He said the rate increases help the city keep the water-sewer system operational.
“They’re needed, typically, to replace old equipment, repair damages,” he said. “We need to do it to keep up with development and for operations.”
Daniel said the Hillsboro water system serves a total of about 1,300 customers (residential and commercial) mostly in the city, with a few outside of the city limits.
The new monthly water rate is $6.04 inside the city ($9.06 outside) per 1,000 gallons for up to 4,999 gallons; $6.79 inside the city ($10.20 outside) per 1,000 gallons for 5,000-9,999 gallons; $7.64 inside the city ($11.46 outside) per 1,000 gallons for 10,000-19,999 gallons; and $8.60 inside the city ($12.90 outside) per 1,000 gallons for 20,000 or more gallons.
The 2023-2024 monthly rates were: $5.86 inside the city ($8.80 outside) per 1,000 gallons for up to 4,999 gallons; $6.59 inside the city ($9.90 outside) per 1,000 gallons for 5,000-9,999 gallons; $7.42 inside the city ($11.13 outside) per 1,000 gallons for 10,000-19,999 gallons; and $8.35 ($12.52 outside) per 1,000 gallons for 20,000 or more gallons.
The new monthly sewer service rate is $8.84 inside the city ($13.26 outside) per 1,000 gallons. That’s up from the 2023-2024 monthly sewer service rate of $8.58 inside the city ($12.87 outside) per 1,000 gallons.
The monthly trash service fee of $17.98 has not changed.