Water rates to increase by 13% 'immediately'

Water rates will increase by 13% and both water and sewer utilities will move to a quarterly billing cycle effective immediately after the Board of Public Works voted unanimously on Thursday, Dec. 18 to pass the measure.

Director of Public Works Tim Barber explained that water rates are being increased to meet revenues and expenses and ensure the town doesn’t end up in a deficit.

“Nobody wants to increase rates. We’re forced to due to our budget deficit,” Barber said.

Water usage demands have also increased, which has forced the town to purchase additional water from New Bedford that exceeds the budget, Barber said. There are also a number of wells out of commission, partially due to damage a storm caused in 2020.

He noted that moving the billing cycle from bi-annual to quarterly will allow the water division and finance department to better track their revenues and expenses.

The Board of Public Works also voted to add a $3 charge per bill that would pay for the EyeOnWater Program, which will allow all users townwide to view their usage in real time.

“They can set parameters to see how much water they’re using [in] real time and including if there are any leaks in their system, they should be able to see that a lot sooner,” Barber said.

Despite increasing rates, plans to get three wells running at the water treatment plant on Old Westport Road, and future capital improvement plans to upgrade pipe sizes and treatment at two facilities to allow for two new wells, the prospect of Dartmouth becoming self-sufficient to supply users with water is slim.

“I think we’ll always have to rely on a supplemental interconnection,” Barber said. “It’s great that we do have that interconnection so we don’t run out of water supply.”

“We should also conserve water, especially during peak periods and dry periods so we don’t have to rely on interconnections that cost 10 times … the cost it costs us to supply water through our users,” Barber said.

Board of Public Works member Ron Labelle said there have been efforts to renegotiate with the city of New Bedford to lower how much they charge for water but have not yet worked out a new deal.