PORT TOWNSEND — The April water bill for Port Townsend residents will include a 3 percent hike, as approved by the City Council on March 5.

The rate hike is the city’s first since 2006.

Residential utility customers in Port Townsend will be assessed a 3 percent base rate increase for water each year for the next five years beginning in April, while sewer rate increases are not planned until 2015 .

A 4 percent increase in sewer rates is planned in both 2015 and 2016.

The average increase per water customer would be about 50 cents per month, according to City Manager David Timmons.

The new residential rate for water service for customers using a using a pipe measuring 5/8 inch to 3/4 inch will be a $14.57-per-month base rate — with low-income customers charged $7.78 monthly — along with a $2.06 surcharge for every 2,000 gallons used.

The average usage for residential customers is 3,200 gallons per month, making the average monthly water bill $21.

The charges are rounded downward, so customers are charged for each additional 1,000 gallons.

For example, a customer using 3,900 gallons would pay for 3,000.

Base rate

The base rate each following year, with the low-income rate in parentheses, will be:

■ $15.01 ($8.01) in 2013.

■ $15.46 ($8.25) in 2014.

■ $15.93 ($8.25) in 2015.

■ $16.40 ($8.75) in 2016.

The city serves about 4,700 water accounts, with a few hundred of them located south of the city limit.

Rates are slightly higher outside the city limit: $16.07 ($9.49) in 2012, $16.55 ($9.77) in 2013, $17.05 ($10.06) in 2014, $17.56 ($10.37) in 2015 and $18.08 ($10.68) in 2016.

The charge for 1,000 gallons outside of the city limit is $2.22.

Commercial rates, which are computed based on the diameter of the utility pipe, also are increasing.

The current monthly sewer rate for fewer than 3,000 gallons will remain unchanged at $33.85, or $23.72 for low-income, for now but will increase to $35.20 ($24.67) in 2015 and $36.61 ($25.66) in 2016.

Timmons said the increase is needed to cover anticipated cost increases.

It was not certain how much will be needed to accommodate the city’s increased costs, but instituting rate hikes in a

five-year schedule is expected to ensure that the city has the money available when needed.

6-1 vote

The rate raise was approved by the council by a 6-1 vote, with Councilman Bob Gray voting against the hike because he said it had not been planned properly.

Voting in favor were City Council members Catharine Robinson, Deborah Stinson, Michelle Sandoval, Mark Welch,

Deputy Mayor Kris Nelson and Mayor David King.

At the March 19 meeting, the council approved a correction of a mistake in the original ordinance, which had used as a cost basis a 2008 rate instead of the 2009 rate the city finance department intended.

The new figures raise two categories of surcharges for smaller-pipe commercial and government service by less than a dollar per month.

Residential service figures were not affected by the correction.

________

Jefferson County Reporter Charlie Bermant can be reached at 360-385-2335 or at charlie.bermant@peninsuladailynews.com.