Hedley rethinks Stage 4 pricing

The Hedley City Council backed off water rate increases imposed as part of its Stage 4 drought response during a called meeting Monday night, April 28.

Aldermen originally approved aggressive water rates April 16 as part of the city’s Drought Contingency Plan, but further reflection caused city officials to come back and reconsider the rates before they could take effect.

Hedley charges a base rate of $52.90 for water up to 2,000 gallons per month with an additional $4 charge for every thousand gallons above that.

In the Stage 4 plan approved two weeks ago, water usage above the 2,000 gallon minimum would cost $20 per thousand gallons and that rate would increase with high water usage culminating with $40 per thousand gallons being charged for usage above 40,000 gallons.

Aldermen said Monday they did not realize the impact of the rates their were approving at the April 16 meeting and wanted another chance to consider those. Officials also said the city’s biggest problem isn’t the water residents are using, it’s water that’s leaking out of the system.

“We’re buying [from Greenbelt Water] twice as much water as we’re selling,” Alderman Aaron Hanes said. “We shouldn’t make the community pay for our problem.”

Aldermen voted unanimously to approve new Stage 4 water rates as follows: Base rate unchanged at $52.90 up to 2,000 gallons; usage over 2,000 and up to 7,000 gallons will be $4 per thousand; over 7,000 up to 9,000 gallons will be $5.50 per thousand; over 9,000 up to 11,000 will be $6 per thousand; over 11,000 up to 15,000 will be $6.50 per thousand; and usage over 15,000 will cost $10,000 per thousand.

City officials also announced that the Texas Rural Water Association has agreed to bring in leak detection equipment to help the city locate water leaks so that those can be found and repaired.

April billing for Hedley is going out this week. The Stage 4 water rates will apply to the May billing.

Aldermen all agreed they had no problem with other water restrictions previously approved in the city’s Drought Contingency Plan and left those untouched Monday night.