Changes made to controversial water surcharge
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The Water Authority is discussing rates and how they impact local businesses on Thursday. Video by ktnv.com
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Las Vegas, NV (KTNV) -- Hundreds of customers frustrated by higher fees voiced their concerns at Thursday's Water Authority meeting.
The Southern Nevada Water Authority calls that fee an infrastructure surcharge to pay for new projects, like bringing water from Lake Mead to the Las Vegas area.
Those new surcharges left many drowning in debt, and they took their voices straight to the Water Authority, packing the room at the meeting held in downtown Las Vegas.
The board decided to give them a break- a big break on fire meter surcharges. Those charges have increased some customers' bills by as much as 300 percent, but they also helped bring in about $44 million for the Water Authority since February, when new rates went into effect.
The rates will stay in effect, but the board is giving that money back in the form of a 50 percent credit.
"We're only giving a credit to the fire meters," board member Tom Collins said. "We're not changing one inch, two inch, six or eight inch meters for residential or commercial fees. Those rates will not change. Only the fire meter component- that's the only change we're making."
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