The Española City Council raised utility rates Tuesday for residential and commercial customers.
The rate increases were among several amendments made to the city’s utility ordinance.
After an earlier, larger increase in rates was voted down last month, Acting City Manager Veronica Albin said she worked the numbers to the point where residents will pay the minimum amount possible to allow the city to operate in the black.
Water rates will increase 6.6 percent to keep in line with cost of living increases. Sewer rates will rise another 4 percent in addition to the cost of living increase, with a 10.6 percent increase.
These rate increases are the same for both residential and commercial customers and will show up on next month’s bills.
For the average utility customer, this amounts to a monthly increase of just under $5 for both services, according to figures Albin provided at the meeting.
Along with the rate increases, the city made 10 other changes to the ordinance, including replacing the double rate charged to out-of-city customers on city utilities with a $20-per-month surcharge, establishing a permanent conservation fee of $5 per 1,000 gallons of water used for users who exceed 8,000 gallons of water use per month, charging the standard service fee to customers who are able to hook up to city lines but do not, and taking over the maintenance of wastewater lift stations on private property.