January 2021 Windsor Matters Newsletter

2021 UTILITY BILLING

RATE INCREASES Monthly Potable Water Rate Increase: 8% WHAT IT AMOUNTS TO PER MONTH TIER 1

UP $0.38

POTABLE ONLY: UP TO 16,000 GAL.

PER 1,000 GALLONS FROM $4.78 TO $5.16

RESIDENTIAL RATE INCREASES EXPLAINED

POTABLE/NON-POTABLE UP TO 9,700 GAL.

TIER 2

UP $0.57

POTABLE ONLY: 16,001-22,500 GAL.

PER 1,000 GALLONS FROM $7.14 TO $7.71

Monthly Windsor Utility rates are increasing effective Feb. 1, 2021.

Water rate increases will be reflected in the March 2021 utility bill.

POTABLE/NON-POTABLE OVER 9,701 GAL.

TIER 3

UP $0.85

POTABLE ONLY: OVER 22,500 GAL.

PER 1,000 GALLONS FROM $10.63 TO $11.48

Sewer/Wastewater: Sewer charges will increase 10% for 2021. For residential customers, that equates to an increase of $2.00 from $20.00 to $22.00 per month.

What’s the difference between water flat and water consumption? Why is there a charge called mosquito?

Stormwater: Monthly stormwater rates for 2021 are not expected to increase. All Windsor Utility customers are charged a stormwater fee. Depending on where a customer lives, they may also be charged for water and/or wastewater services their household receives.

For an in-depth explanation of utility billing charges and to learn more about Windsor’s water story, visit windsorgov.com/Utilities.

The Town of Windsor regularly reviews its rates and makes adjustments to reflect the cost of providing safe and reliable water, stormwater and wastewater services to Windsor Utility customers. In order to ensure that rates charged by Windsor’s Water Utility are fair and equitable, the Town of Windsor conducts regular cost-of-service studies which help identify operational expenses associated with the delivery of services. The town does not profit from utility services.

Rate increases were approved during a special town board meeting held December 14, 2020. To stay up to date with scheduled meetings, agendas and packets, visit windsorgov.com/Agendas.

Windsor Utility | windsorgov.com/Utilities 301 Walnut Street, Windsor, CO 80550

THE COST OF

THE COST OF

STORMWATER

SEWER/WASTEWATER

Potable water—also known as tap or drinking water—is the water that enters your home and is fit for drinking.

There are two types of sewer systems in Windsor: wastewater and storm.

The stormwater system is also known as the Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System—or MS4—and is the collection of pipes, ditches, detention ponds and other conveyances that carry outdoor water runoff untreated into the Cache la Poudre River.

Sewer/wastewater is the water that leaves your home and goes down a drain and through a series of indoor pipes after use.

Stormwater costs are factored by identifying the cost of keeping the Town of Windsor in compliance with state stormwater discharge permit requirements. MS4 permit compliance requires a level of public outreach, as well as the ability to detect and eliminate illicit discharges, enforce construction run-off management, and the need to implement and enforce a maintenance program to prevent or reduce pollutants in runoff from municipal operations. The final cost per customer varies based on factors such as property size.

Wastewater costs are also impacted by items put down residents’ drains. For instance, grease and non-biodegradable items can clog wastewater pipes, causing costly repairs.

POTABLE WATER

Some of the factors that help determine the cost to bring safe, reliable drinking water to the Town of Windsor include: • The cost of procuring enough water to meet Windsor’s residential demands • The cost to maintain aging infrastructure • The cost to send water through treatment facilities for processing and safety testing

WHERE DOES YOUR BILL GO? Conservation Planning 1% Infrastructure 20%

Debt Service 4%

Direct Overhead 12% Indirect Overhead 12%

Water Treatment Costs 45%

Quality Assurance 6%

In 2017, the Town of Windsor received its stormwater discharge permit from the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, necessitating the development and implementation of stormwater improvements.

THE COST OF

Wastewater is directed from homes through miles of pipes and for those with a sewer/ wastewater fee on their Windsor Utility bill, the used water that goes down the drain is treated locally at Windsor’s Wastewater Treatment plant.

Residents who pay for sewer/wastewater services are charged a flat rate which goes toward the cost of collecting and treating water to Federal Environmental Protection Agency standards before it is released back into the Poudre River.

The town’s wastewater treatment facility has a capacity of 2.8 million gallons per day and it uses over 90 miles of sewer line. There are two sewer vac trucks used by the town to maintain a healthy pipe infrastructure.

Windsor’s wastewater treatment plant is nearing capacity. In 2020, the Town began to research options on increasing capacity while maintaining infrastructure and meeting new Federal Environmental Protection Agency standards.

For more information about the Windsor Utility, visit windsorgov.com/Utilities.