Water Rates Sink For Some North Austin Utility Districts

More than 46,000 residents of North and West Travis County will be able to drink easier when turning on the water thanks to a coming drop in water rates.

They have their local municipal utility districts to thank.

The Public Utility Commission of Texas has ordered lower water rates for the North Austin MUD No. 1, Northtown MUD, Travis County Water Control and Improvement District No. 10 and Wells Branch MUD, after the utility districts filed a petition with the state commission, reported Community Impact Newspaper.

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The petition was filed in 2013, and the three-member board of the state utility commission passed the order unanimously on Oct. 8. The City of Austin will be mandated to refund money in excess of the new rates since the appeal. The city is expecting to pay out $3 million, Kalinda Howe of 3 Points Partners, the communication company of the MUDs, told Community Impact.

The North Austin MUD No. 1 and the Northtown MUD service areas in the northern city limits of Austin and east of Interstate 35 between Austin and Pflugerville.

The water rate per 1,000 gallons will drop from $3.71 to $2.88 in the North Austin MUD No. 1 and from $3.57 to $2.72 in the Northtown MUD.

Randy Wilburn, the attorney for the group of municipal utility districts, issued a statement after the order was accepted by the public utility commission.

“The Public Utility Commission was clear today that the city of Austin’s practice of taxing utility customers through excessive water and wastewater rates is not allowed,” he said in the statement. “We hope our fellow large employer customers, like the state of Texas take notice and use this ruling to help end these improper charges to all water and wastewater customers.”