Biggest Gunnison water users will see largest increase in overage rates
Robert Stevens
Managing editor
3-30-2017
GUNNISON—Overage rates for culinary water have gone up in Gunnison City, especially for the city’s biggest water users, who got a new overage-rate tier and, in the process, a 53-percent overage-rate increase.
Most residents and businesses, both within and outside of city limits, will see their overage rates increase between 20 and 40 cents per 1,000 gallons of overage, or between about 11 and 25 percent depending on which overage tier they fall under (see accompanying table).
But for those who use 2 million gallons or more, the overage rate jumped a buck-ninety from the previous maximum rate of $3.60 per 1,000 gallons, to $5.50 per thousand in the newly created tier.
The rate hikes, affects only overages and not the base rate, was approved during the most recent Gunnison City Council meeting on Wednesday, March 22, following a public hearing on the topic.
Base culinary water rates remain at $33 monthly for 0-4,000 gallons within city limits, and $42 for the same amount of culinary water outside city limits.
Gunnison City Councilman Blake Donaldson said the changes were due to unforeseen costs associated with the Gunnison City Water Project. He said he regretted the rate increase, but that it was necessary.
