By MEGAN WENTZ
PVT
Utilities Inc. of Central Nevada has released new water rates for its service territories. There will be an overall decrease in sewer charges but an overall increase for water.
The Public Utilities Commission of Nevada reviews and adjusts rates charged by the utility once every three years as required by state law.
Utilities Inc. recommended the elimination of fixture counts as a way of determining rates for commercial sewer customers, based on a request by Pahrump business owners, and the commission approved this change in the rate structure.
Costs are now determined by the size of meters a property uses.
For example, a restaurant with 40 fixtures in its establishment would have been billed $927.60. Now, however, based on a two-inch meter reading, the sewer bill will be $334.75.
This will mean for the majority of commercial customers an overall decrease in monthly sewer costs by about 63.91 percent, depending on the type of business, that could help boost Pahrump’s struggling economy.
Most of the water rate increases approved by the commission were applied to the gallons consumed over 6,000 gallons per month.
This results in lower rates for customers that practice water conservation.
The overall costs for commercial customers of Utilities Inc. is projected to be about 54.10 percent less in the winter and about 52.32 percent less in the summer, again dependent on the type of business.
These forecasts are based on one business’ specifications. Estimates will vary depending on the size of the meter, which now determines the bill, and the number of fixtures, which used to determine the bill.
As for single-family residences, sewer rates are expected to decrease by 5.19 percent while water rates will still increase.
This brings an expected increase for the overall costs of water and sewer by 18.98 percent in the winter months and 21.82 percent in the summer months for the average family.
Water conservation will play an important role in the amount of single-family residence’s bills as well as with businesses.
The new rates will be retroactive to July 28 of this year.
Just out of curiosity, is this Megan Wentz related to Wendy Wentz who is the Director of Operations at Utilities, Inc?
Those that are on fixed incomes are going to love the retroactive clause when they get their next bill, I’m sure of it.
Keep watching Nascar and the real housewife’s of new Jersey on TV as that is more important than paying attention to what goes on in your community.
Would a 50% increase in rates wake people up from their slumber to get involved?
It’s hard for me to feel sorry when people refuse to get involved with their community.
One thing is for sure, They do not make enough deoderant to take the stink out of this armpit! I have never seen such a crooked town ! who would ever open up a buisness here is crazy
I’v been here 9 yrs now and it blows my mind that a Water company and i might add that they have the monopoly ,charge per fixture,sink,tolit.Would it make since to put a meter on the line going in and maybe one on the out side line no wonder we cant get any business hear.Were getting screwed and not getting a kiss
Just got my water bill. The water base charge went from $9.90 to $22.38. That is a 79.967 percent increase. Was this increase ever mentioned prior to effective date of 7/16/2010 or at any town metting?
You can kiss this sorry excuse of a city goodbye! When will they learn that this city has NO RIGHT TO EXIST!
Find a place to live where people are honest and decent and nepatism isn’t rampant in the city and county employment offices! Find a place where water is a right to have instead of a luxury. Where you can smell the green and see flowers and animals in the pastures. IT AINT HERE KIDS!!!
Do what I’m doing and let this crap hole rot, and just leave.
Do you think that your kids, educated in this sorry excuse of a city’s schools or colleges will be looked upon with respect!? Think again. EDU sucks here!!
I love the looks of Vegas, FROM A SPEEDING CAR!!!
Ref; Reality Check; One of two things are destin to become reality; #1. Pahrump will grow and become a quailty sub-burb of Las Vegas or….. A dusty ghost town !
Just so everyone knows…this is a 125% rate increase! An 80% increase would be from $9.90 to $17.82. If they could do simple math they would know that. Double the former rate and you get a 100% increase. They divided backwards!!!!!
I lived in Pahrump for five years and I must say that I was astonished on a daily basis on how the town operated. It was amazing how screwed up things were and how often there non conforming activities within the city leaders.From the realtors to the sheriffs department, the town doesn’t function proper.The construction contractors were substandard, the realtors were the most devious I have ever seen and the sheriffs office is entirely dysfunctional.
The festival was always fun however getting it set up every year was always a political joke. The district attorney was, and apperently still is a mess. The Hiway Ppatrol needs to be investigated or at least filmed in action and the medical system is almost as bad as the meth problem.
Utilities Inc. has been screwing Pahrump with lack of proper notification for a long time. This is nothing new! Of course someone’s relative has written this article and of course the article is not going to be correct. This is Pahrump.
There is not another city in America as dysfunctional as Pahrump! Not even Las Vegas. Without The money that Las Vegas provides the Pahrumpian economy, I am betting that the poor people of Pahrump are about to be penetrated by more than just Utilities Inc.