No Increase in Arlington Water Rates for 2021
By Arlington Water Utilities
Posted on December 04, 2020, December 04, 2020

Water faucetArlington Water Utilities water and sanitary sewer usage rates will not increase in January, allowing residents to continue to have some of lowest city services costs in North Texas.

For the past several years, the City of Arlington has delayed any water or sewer rate increases approved in the fall until the second quarter of the fiscal year, which begins on Jan. 1. For 2021, the water department proposed a budget with no rate increases because the City is mindful of the unique financial challenges residents face this year, says Craig Cummings, Arlington Water Utilities Director.

“Many costs associated with producing safe, clean water for residents and maintaining billions of dollars in water and sewer system infrastructure continue to increase each year. However, as households throughout Arlington tightened their belts in 2020, our department committed to finding efficiencies than can help our community weather the temporary COVID-19 crisis,” Cummings says.

 The average residential water/sewer bill for Arlington is $58.96. City of Arlington stormwater fees and residential garbage recycling fees, both of which increased slightly in October, also appear on Arlington Water Utilities bills. 

 Arlington Water Utilities residential rates for water usage are some of the lowest in North Texas. Those charges, also known as volumetric rates, increase as individual water usage increases. For example, residents pay $2.02 per thousand gallons of water for the first 2,000 gallons used each month. A rate of $2.79 per one thousand gallons of water kicks in when usage reaches 3,000 gallons, followed by rates of $4.02 per thousand gallons for 11,000 to 15,000 gallons, $5.63 per thousand gallons for 16,000 to 29,000 gallons, and $6.78 per thousand gallons for 30,000 gallons or more. 

 During the winter, residents can lock in savings for the coming year by using water efficiently. That’s because water usage during the winter months (November-February) is averaged to establish a maximum sewer charge that the customer will have in any month for the next fiscal year. This program, sometimes referred to as “average winter consumption,” has been in place for more than a decade. Watch this video from the City of Arlington to learn more.

 In October, Arlington Water Utilities returned city services account deposits to more 6,980 residential customers, following a city ordinance change adopted by the Arlington City Council. The change allows Arlington Water Utilities to reward customers who have paid their city services bill on time for a 12-month period by crediting their deposit back to their account. The City credited a total of $562,520.57 on October city services bills as part of the policy implementation. 

 This summer, the Arlington City Council also authorized the department to expand its Care and Share Fund, a donation driven account that provides assistance paying city services bills for residents who meet certain income requirements and are facing temporary crises. Over the last five years, the Care and Share Fund has provided over $250,000 in assistance to qualified residents. To learn more about how to donate to that fund or apply for assistance, please visit www.ArlingtonTX.gov/careandshare.

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