Water bills are contentious in this Pierce County city. Why do they seem so high?
Those who receive a water bill from the city of Bonney Lake might notice something different this summer.
Season-specific water rates are no longer in place. That means rates will not differ in the summer or winter. Rates will remain the same year round – until the next time the city does a water rate study in 2027 or 2028.
Interim public services director Jason Sullivan wrote in an email that the city decided to remove summer rates to reduce fluctuations in residents’ water bills. Removing the seasonal rates provides more stability and consistency, he said.
“Under the previous system, even if a resident’s water usage remained consistent between summer and winter, their bill would increase during the summer months due to higher rates,” Sullivan said.
The adjusted water rates went into effect in August 2023 after the Bonney Lake City Council approved them in May 2023.
Residents can be vocal about their water bills. Half of the City Council candidates who were in the voters’ pamphlet for the November 2023 election mentioned water rates and utility rates in general in their statement.
The previous mayor, Michael McCullough, planned to look into lowering utility rates before he was sworn into office. He told The News Tribune in November 2021 that “everybody is concerned about that.”
Sullivan told The News Tribune recently that the city usually hears residents’ concerns about their water bills in the summer and early fall. As of Thursday, July 18, he said he has not seen emails this year from residents concerned about water rates.
The cost of a water bill is determined by the base charge and how much water is used, Sullivan said. Residents are billed bimonthly.
The city plans to transition to a monthly billing cycle eventually, Sullivan said. When that will happen has yet to be determined because the city still needs to buy and install the technology needed to make that change, he said.
Currently, the base charge is $24.42 for those who live within the city limits and $37.70 for those who live outside the city limits.
Water consumption rates are $2.35 for less than five hundreds of cubic feet (HCF) per month, $2.94 between six to nine HCF per month, and $3.51 for more than nine HCF per month. 1 HCF equals 748 gallons.
Previously, water consumption rates in the winter (Oct. 1 to May 31) were $1.95 for less than 10 HCF per month and $3.87 for more than 10 HCF per month. In the summer (June 1 to Sept. 30), it cost $1.95 for less than 10 HCF per month, $4.23 between 11 to 20 HCF per month, $5.91 between 21 to 30 HCF per month, and $7.62 for more than 31 HCF per month.
An average home uses about 9.43 HCF per month, which is about 7,054 gallons of water.
When asked how long the summer and winter rates were in place, Sullivan said it has been around since he started working for the city about 12 years ago. He said he does not know if other cities have or had a similar rate system.
When asked how the city’s water rates now compare to other cities, Sullivan said it is not outside the norm. It is not the highest or lowest, he said.
A resident who lives inside the city limits would pay $42.05 if they used 7 HCF or 5,256 gallons in a month. If they lived outside the city limits, they would pay $64.05.
A Puyallup resident would pay $31.38 if they used that same amount in a month. In Buckley, they would pay $41.18. In Fife, they would pay $49.38.
When asked why Bonney Lake residents think water rates are high when they are comparable to surrounding cities, the city wrote in a statement: “Most complaints about water rates are received in the months following the issuance of summer bills. The previous high summer rates, coupled with increased water usage primarily for irrigation, are believed to be the main cause of these complaints.”
The city also said there might be some confusion with the utility bills because they include charges not only for water but also for sewer and stormwater.
“While there may be some confusion around billing, the primary cause of past complaints is likely related to the previous summer water rate structure,” the city wrote in the statement.
