Loveland City
Council passed an ordinance at their December 12, 2017 meeting approving a 5%
flat rate increase for 2018, 2% flat rate increase for 2019 and a 2% increase for
2020 in combination with a progressive tier for usage greater than 5,000
gallons per month. The addition of a
tiered rate structure design avoids placing additional burden on those with
minimal water usage. The more water a
customer uses, usage moves into the higher tier(s) resulting in higher charges
for water use. With the switch to a
tiered structure, it is estimated that 60% of utility accounts will not be
affected by the increase for usage over 5,000 gallons. The flat rate increase on our minimum bill
customers inside the City limits equates to $7.80 annually or about two cents
per day. Customers can expect to see the
change on their bill due February 15.
Loveland utility
customers have not experienced a water rate increase since January 2016 while
many other communities have raised rates annually. We need to adequately provide for the
continued water operation and maintenance for replacements and improvements
that are not deferred or completely financed. Deferment of projects and repairs typically cost more in the long run as
more maintenance is required and due to inflation. The City needs to replace water mains
annually to keep on track with a useful life of 80-100 years of these critical
assets. The City has been extremely
successful in utilizing zero-percent interest loans and grant funding when
available and continues to look for ways to keep Loveland’s water rates as one
of the lowest in the area.
The City of
Oakwood annually collects data from municipalities regarding water and sewer
rates and publishes the data for benchmarking purposes. In the 2017
study, Loveland had the fifth lowest rate among 63 jurisdictions
surveyed. In data supplied by the City of Cincinnati, Loveland has the second
lowest water rate for the average single-family household. Even with the
5% increase and progressive tier, the City of Loveland is still the seventh
lowest rate on the 2017 City of Oakwood survey and third lowest on the City of
Cincinnati chart.