All local water supplies (except wells) depend on wholesale water supplies from the LCRA's Highland Lake's systems

 

The Authority is planning to raise its rates to these customers, partly to fund a new downstream reservoir. Needless to say this plan is meeting with negative commentary in the area already.

 

They are planning meetings in Marble Falls and Bee cave to discuss. From their web site:

The Lower Colorado River Authority will host public meetings in Marble Falls and Bee Cave the week of March 31 to discuss proposed new raw water rates being considered by the LCRA Board of Directors.

The meetings will be:

"Monday, March 31, at Lakeside Pavilion, 307 Buena Vista, Marble Falls and Thursday, April 3, at Bee Cave City Hall, 4000 Galleria Parkway, Bee Cave.

Doors will open at 6 p.m. and the meetings will begin at 6:30 p.m. LCRA staff will be available to discuss the proposed rates and other water-related issues one-on-one before the meetings. The meetings will focus on the proposed new rates.

LCRA staff is proposing new raw water rates for both irrigation customers and firm customers such as cities, industries and community water providers. Water utilities that buy water from LCRA set their own rates for the homes and businesses they serve. Each utility would decide how new rates would affect its retail customers such as residents or businesses.

The proposed rates would allow LCRA to fully recover existing costs and the costs of new water supplies. The proposed rates also simplify the rate structure for interruptible customers.

“We invite anyone who has a question about the proposed new rates to come visit with us,” said Karen Bondy, LCRA senior vice president of Water Resources. “Getting feedback is a critical step in this process. The proposed rates are preliminary and could change based on what we hear from our customers and the public.’’

 

On the price increases it says:

"LCRA is considering changing the rates it charges firm and interruptible customers for raw water.

In January, LCRA staff presented its initial rate proposal to the LCRA Board of Directors. Since then, members of the LCRA staff have spent many hours talking with customers and the public throughout the basin to collect feedback for the Board, which is expected to make its final decision on new rates in June.

LCRA staff is continuing the process of obtaining stakeholder input, and as a direct result of that information-gathering process, LCRA staff is revising for the Board’s consideration the preliminary rate proposal it presented in January. Revisions to the proposal will enable LCRA to still recover costs, while also mitigating future rate impacts to its customers.

Information regarding the revised rate proposal will be posted on LCRA.org by March 31."

Detailed information about the proposed new rates is posted on LCRA.org, and will be available at the meetings. Members of the public are invited to provide feedback by emailing This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. ."