Water Rates

The Raleigh City Council approved an increase of $500 on the fees charged for the water and sewer utility hook-up for new buildings. Our current capacity fees are about $1700, but the rate in Raleigh is still well below what other municipalities in Wake County charge new developments. The average is about $3500, however some cities run upwards of $8000. This increase for Raleigh will still not cover the total cost for building new water and sewer capacity, but we are striving to assure that growth pays for itself.

The residenitial water rates will increase by 8.5% starting May 1 and continuing until December 1 when the tiered water rates take effect. Currently the rate per gallon is $2.63 per 1,000 gallons. After the rate increase goes into effect, water will cost $2.85 per 1,000 gallons. This translates to just under 3/100 of 1 cent per gallon of water.

The average Raleigh household uses between 5-6,000 gallons a month. In the summer our municipal collective water consumption jumps from an average of 40 million gallons per day to 70 million gallons per day. Most of this is due to irrigation systems using potable water for lawns. There are a variety of options for collecting and reusing rain water, such as FreeFlow Water Recycling Systems which helped my company set up an excellent underground cistern system.

The tiered water rate system is specifically structured to reward customers who are actively conserving.

Tier 1 - Less than 3,000 gallons a month - $2.80 per 1,000 gallons
Tier 2 - 3,000 to 7,500 gallons a month - $4.15 per 1,000 gallons
Tier 3 - More than 7,500 gallons a month - $5.50 per 1,000 gallons

Why Less is More by Matthew Eisley, N&O 4/22/09 A great summary of background information on the complexities of raising rates.

The recent drought was a huge wake-up call for us that our water/sewer system must be prepared to handle seasonal and annual fluctuations. We need to move towards a system which values conservation and budgets our water in a responsible and appropriate way. I want to say a huge thank you to the entire Raleigh community for the collective conservation efforts. The positive response reflects a continued movement towards recognizing that water is a collective, finite resource that must be protected and budgeted responsibly.

Where does our water come from?
#1 Neuse River Basin
Cape Fear River Basin

Where does it go?
According to a recent report from the Raleigh Water Conservation Advisory Council:
24% is commercial use
11% is institutional use
3% is industrial use
62% is residential use

Within that Residential Use the breakdown looks something like this:
20% irrigation
18% clothes washers (average wash cycle uses approximately 40-45 gallons)
16% showers
14% toilets check out the Toilet Replacement Rebate Program
19% faucets
7% leaks
6% other

Calculate your household's water use here.

Outcomes of 4/21/09 Meeting

Recognition of Special Awards

1. As part of National Drinking Water Week, May 4-8th, the City will host its annual WaterFest at the Neuse River Wastewater Treatment Plant. Thousands of Wake County students will participate in educational programs at the plant throughout the week to encourage awareness and understanding about water as a precious resource.
   
2. The City of Raleigh joins many other municipalities in the USA and abroad in declaring May Breast Cancer Early Detection Month. It is important to note that breast cancer affects 1 in 8 women, and the outcome strongly affected by the stage at which it is detected.
   
3. May 10-16 is declared Raleigh Fashion Week. The main event of the week is Strut09 which will highlight the work of national fashion designers, many with roots and local connections right in the Triangle, and featuring the latest offerings of area boutiques and stores. The event will be held at the Raleigh Convention Center and the 3-day show will include many emerging local artists and designers.
   
4. A total of six Parks & Recreation employees have completed a 6-month diploma program in Energy Management at NCSU. The cost of their training was covered by a grant from the state. The Mayor proclaimed that strengthening our City employees is the nuts & bolts of assuring that Raleigh becomes a truly pioneering green city.
   
5. The Council and those attendance held a moment of silence to honor the late Senator Vernon Malone. He was an outstanding public servant for over 35 years, with his roots in the Wake County School Board and County Commissioners. His presence will be missed by the entire NC community.
   

Z-8-09 - Request to rezone a 9.5 acre section of Blue Ridge Road from Office & Institution 6/ Residential-6 to Office & Institution 2. The recommendation from the Planning Commission was to approve this rezoning because it is consistent with the current CompPlan. However the concern was raised about the possibility for increased traffic at Crabtree Valley. We heard from traffic engineer Krista Green that the "worst-case scenario" for the Leadmine Rd. intersection was an additional 6 seconds of delay during peak morning hours, and 12 seconds of delay during peak afternoon. Councillor McFarlane noted that the City recently commissioned a new traffic study for Crabtree Valley since it has become an incredibly crowded intersection, and that this rezoning can not be considered realistically considered without that study. The zoning case is referred to the Comprehensive Planning Committee, which Councillor McFarlane is the chair of.

The City Council authorized the Moore Square Design Public Process Concept, and its Phase I, II, III activities. Phase I & II (May-September 2009) consists of an Open Call to the public for ideas, and Phase III (January 2010) will be a juried Design Competition for professional designers to submit plans. Councillor Stephenson expressed desire for the competition to be publicized and strongly encouraged amongst local Raleigh and NC designers. This project will be a joint effort of Parks & Rec Department, Downtown Raleigh Alliance, the City and the State. More information.

The Arts Commission presented their 2009-2010 Arts Grants Allocations and recommendation for the Public Art & Design Board to manage the new "Percent for Arts Ordinance". This is the most competitive year the Commission has experienced, marked by the highest ever dollar request in their 22 year history. Requests for funding in the respective areas of projects, operations and management was over $1.6 million and actual grants awarded at about $1.4 million. They have also helped to assemble an excellent and diverse team of art advocates to organize the inclusion of public art into the Raleigh community. Thomas Sayre will be the Chair. For final review this item has been referred as a special item in the Budget Work Session on Monday April 27th at 4pm.

The Substance Abuse Advisory Committee notified that through their conversations with DEA and Police officials that prescription drug abuse has increased dramatically in our community. Prescription drug abuse has becoming an increasing problem amongst young teenagers and the easiest source for them is often their own home. So on Saturday May 30th from 10am-4pm the SAAC will host Prescription Drug Drop-off events at various Food Lions around the City. People are encouraged to bring expired or unfinished prescriptions to be disposed of properly by the Police Department. Councillor McFarlane also offered the services of her company MedPro Rx, Inc. to help with the proper disposal of medications. To take care of disposal in your home please do not flush down the toilet because this affects our water supply, but rather crush up the pills and mix with something like coffee grounds or kitty litter.

The issue of water & sewer rates is moved to the Budget Work Session on Monday April 27th at 4pm.

Community Read Day at Brooks Elementary

Yesterday I had fun reading The Truth about the 3 Little Pigs by Jon Scieszka to one of the fifth grade classes at Brooks Elementary for Community Read Day. It was great to visit Brooks since this was the first Wake County School that my child attended when we moved here in 1984. After I read the book some of the students asked questions about my job on City Council. There were also policemen, firefighters and a number of other community leaders who also participated in Community Read Day.

City Council Agenda 4/21/2009

Full text of the Agenda available here.

A. MEETING CALLED TO ORDER BY THE MAYOR

1. Invocation - Pastor Tyler Jones, Vintage 21 Church

2. Pledge of Allegiance

B. RECOGNITION OF SPECIAL AWARDS

C. CONSENT AGENDA

All items on the consent agenda are considered to be routine and may be enacted by one motion. If a Councilor requests discussion on an item, the item will be removed from the consent agenda and considered separately. The vote on the consent agenda will be a roll call vote.

D. REPORT AND RECOMMENDATION OF THE PLANNING COMMISSION

E. SPECIAL ITEMS

1. Water and Sewer Rates

The proposal to increase water and sewer rates by 17% has been discussed on several occasions. Various information has been supplied and it was directed that the item be placed on this agenda for further consideration.

Read full text of the report from Dale Crisp, Raleigh Public Utilities Director.

F. REPORT AND RECOMMENDATION OF THE CITY MANAGER

1. Moore Square Design and Public Process Concept, Phases I, II and III

G. REPORT AND RECOMMENDATION OF THE ARTS COMMISSION

Brian Starkey, Chair of the Arts Commission, will present the 2009-2010 Arts Grants Allocations recommendations and his recommended Public Art and Design Board appointments.

H. REPORT AND RECOMMENDATION OF THE PARKS, RECREATION AND GREENWAY ADVISORY BOARD

1. Isabella Cannon Park Master Plan - Isabella Cannon Park is a 3.5-acre Neighborhood Park located in the University Park neighborhood at the corner of Gardner Street and Kilgore Avenue. The park has been a part of Raleigh’s park system since the 1930’s. Funds for the renovation and master plan of the park were included as part of the 2003 Park Bond.

I. REPORT AND RECOMMENDATION OF THE SUBSTANCE ABUSE ADVISORY COMMISSION

Representatives of the Substance Abuse Advisory Commission will present a report on the prescription drug drop off event.

J. REPORT AND RECOMMENDATION OF THE WATER CONSERVATION ADVISORY COUNCIL

The Water Conservation Advisory Council will present their recommendations for the City’s current and future water conservation strategies.

K. REQUESTS AND PETITIONS OF CITIZENS

1. Loree Idol, Enloe High School, would like to present a student editorial and request that the Council consider funding for one school resource officer per every 1,000 students at all Raleigh City high schools.

L. MATTERS SCHEDULED FOR PUBLIC HEARING (2:00 P.M. OR AFTER)

M. REPORT AND RECOMMENDATION OF THE BUDGET AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE

4. Water and Sewer Capacity Fees

It is recommended that this item be referred to the special Public Utilities Work Session and Budget Work Session scheduled for Monday April 27 at 4pm.

N. REPORT AND RECOMMENDATION OF THE COMPREHENSIVE PLANNING COMMITTEE

1. Text Change - Prohibit Industrial Facilities in Residential Areas

The Committee recommends the City Council direct Administration to prepare a text change to create a new special use permit designation for compost facilities and authorize a public hearing for that text change upon completion of the ordinance.

O. REPORT AND RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE LAW & PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE

1. Temporary Street Closings - Notification

The Committee recommends this item be reported out of Committee with the Council

directing Administration to monitor and address complaints by citizens regarding traffic

issues and street closing notifications for special events.

P. REPORT AND RECOMMENDATION OF THE PUBLIC WORKS COMMITTEE

1. No report.

Q. REPORT OF MAYOR AND COUNCIL MEMBERS

R. APPOINTMENTS

S. NOMINATIONS

T. REPORT AND RECOMMENDATION OF THE CITY ATTORNEY

U. REPORT AND RECOMMENDATION OF THE CITY CLERK

Identity Theft Prevention Event

Attorney General Roy Cooper and local sponsors are donating their time and resources to sponsor a free shred-a-thon and free educational seminars on scams in your community. Identity theft prevention tips will be available at all events. Shred-a-thons are a perfect way to destroy old tax records, checks, employment records or credit applications. You do NOT need to remove staples and paper clips from the documents. It usually takes about 10 minutes to watch the documents shred.

Saturday, April 18 th from 10am to 2pm.

Tabernacle Baptist Church
8304 Leesville Rd., Raleigh
Local Sponsors: Attorney General Roy Cooper, Tabernacle Baptist Church, Shred It

For more information please review the NC DOJ Scam Prevention website.