Lawns across Denver have gone without sprinklers since Oct. 1, when Denver Water’s first lawn-watering ban in nearly 25 years took effect. On Oct. 28, the utility’s board added a price tag for next year. Commissioners unanimously approved higher 2027 water rates and steeper drought charges that will lift the average single-family bill by about $3.24 a month.
The Oct. 28 vote and the new numbers
The Denver Gazette reported that the Denver Board of Water Commissioners voted Wednesday to approve the 2027 rates, which take effect Jan. 1 and are designed to bring in about 6% more revenue. The average monthly bill for a single-family Denver customer goes from $56.97 to $60.21, according to the Gazette, or roughly $39 more over a year. Individual increases will vary by where a customer lives and how much water the household uses.
The board also raised the drought charges layered on top of the base rates. Under the Stage 1 drought charge, the second-tier surcharge climbs from $1.10 to $1.40 per 1,000 gallons, and the third-tier surcharge goes from $2.20 to $2.80.
Chief Financial Officer Angela Bricmont said the 2027 rates and drought rates respond to the “unprecedented conditions” the region is facing, according to the Gazette. CEO and Manager Alan Salazar called the current dry spell “one of the worst droughts Denver Water has experienced in the last 100 years.”
How the drought charges hit outdoor water
Denver Water designed its drought pricing to land on outdoor use and leave basic indoor use alone. The utility’s board resolution on drought pricing, adopted April 8, sets the residential tiers by each customer’s average winter consumption. Tier 1, the household’s average winter use, carries no drought charge. Tier 2 covers the next 15,000 gallons, and Tier 3 covers everything above that…