(Credit: Shutterstock)
The Austin City Council voted Tuesday to keep residential and commercial water rates at their current reduced level into fiscal year 2019-2020. The vote comes on the recommendation from Austin Water as it works to make water service more affordable. The reduced water rate was introduced in 2018, when residential and commercial customers received a 4.8{211d4eaff5f6ab776b9f468c919065fc3aae4df093916ddbc4a838f2fb9137eb} rate reduction, saving customers a combined total $26.7 million on their water bills annually.
“Making water service more affordable continues to be a top priority,” said David Anders, Assistant Director of Austin Water – Financial Services. “We’re proud of the work that we are doing to find savings in many areas of the utility – savings which have helped us keep water rates at their current reduced level for our customers.”
The majority of water utilities across the country are increasing rates by 5{211d4eaff5f6ab776b9f468c919065fc3aae4df093916ddbc4a838f2fb9137eb} year-over-year, but Austin Water says it is defying national trends by finding efficiencies and savings which have been contributing factors in Austin Water’s multi-year plan to stabilize water rates and make water service more affordable.
