No rate increase in new CFPUA budget

WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) — Water and sewer rates will hold steady for most New Hanover County residents after the Cape Fear Public Utility Authority Board approved a new budget today.

The $76.1 million plan contains no increase in water and sewer rates for Fiscal Year 2016. CFPUA says residential uniform rate for water will remain at $3.67 per 1,000 gallons and the sewer usage rate will remain at $4.56 per 1,000 gallons. CFPUA’s fixed charges will also remain the same at $25.81 per bi-monthly bill for water and $29.10 per bi-monthly bill for sewer. Under the FY ’16 rates, an average residential bill will remain at $69.49 a month.  Passage of the FY ’16 budget followed several presentations at CFPUA board meetings and a public hearing in May.

CFPUA says its rates recently received high marks from the UNC School of Government Environmental Finance Center in that group’s annual study of water rates across North Carolina. UNC places CFPUA in its green, or “optimal,” zones in just about every rate-based and financial category.