The Bee Cave Bee

Here is an update on the WTC PUA pricing work being done this year - with help from Mike Murphy, former Bee Cave Councilman and now Board Member of the authority. Bee Cave is part of this system, Lakeway is not.

Bee Cave City Council recently validated the current rates that were put into effect in November 2012 to prepare the landscape for a bond sale this summer to pay LCRA per the purchase agreement. 

The PUA is currently in another rate study cycle and will act this Fall if any changes are indicated by the study.  Last year the study indicated a 31% shortfall on wholesale customer revenue vs. the costs associated with supplying them water.  Due to many factors the PUA invoked just half of that (a 15.5% increase) in the Nov 2012 rates and agreed to study it further this year. 

They continue in discussions with the wholesale customers on how best to rectify the wholesale revenue shortfall on an equitable basis.  It should be known in a few months what the rate study says is needed in the way of revenue & rates, and, hopefully, the PUA will have reached some sort of consensus amongst the wholesale customers on how best to apportion their share of the costs.

Last cycle retail water rates remained unchanged, wholesale rates were adjusted upward, and retail sewer rates went up a few percent.  Some people have expressed the sentiment that their sewer rates skyrocketed - their retail sewer volume charge is based on their "winter average water usage" (average of December, January, February water usages when landscape watering is not a factor).  To ensure the lowest sewer charge, a customer needs to minimize their "winter average water use".  If it is above what was used the previous winter, the sewer charge will be proportionally higher for the next year.  If it spiked very high (ie. continuing to irrigate, filling a pool, etc.) customers could see a dramatic increase in  sewer charges.