Proposal to Build a New South Water Plant

City of Huntington Proposes Water Rate Increase to Address Aging Well Fields and Water Plant Needs

The City of Huntington has announced a necessary proposal to increase water rates in response to aging well fields and a critical need to replace the South Water Plant, which was built in 1959 and is now 66 years old. This proposal follows an extensive review of the current system and is aimed at ensuring the continued delivery of safe, reliable and clean water to the community.

Maintaining and upgrading our water system is essential to ensuring that our residents and businesses have access to high-quality water for years to come. The proposed rate adjustment will allow us to make much-needed investments in drilling news wells and upgrading the South Water Plant at 2290 Engle St. Federally mandated lead service line replacement is included in the proposal as well.

Aging Infrastructure and Water Plant Challenges

Over the past decades, the city's water infrastructure has aged significantly, with some components approaching or exceeding their expected lifespan. The increased rates will directly fund critical projects such as:

  • Building a new South Water Plant to replace the existing facility, which was originally constructed in 1959.
  • Drilling additional groundwater wells to increase firm capacity and replace wells taken out of service.
  • Upgrading our water treatment processes to incorporate more-efficient technologies.
  • Investing in preventive maintenance to reduce the likelihood of future service disruptions.
  • Ensuring the City's water system meets or exceeds all environmental and public health standards.

Rate Increase Details

The proposal would phase in a rate increase over the next three years. The typical household, based on average use of 535 cubic feet (or about 4,000 gallons of water), would see an actual out-of-pocket increase to their monthly utilities bill of, on average:

  • Year 1: $6.12 monthly increase.
  • Year 2: $8.25 monthly increase to a cumulative total of $14.37 per month.
  • Year 3: $8.25 monthly increase to a cumulative total of $22.62 per month.
  • Total out-of-pocket increase: About 75 cents per day on average, phased in over three years.

The increase is structured to minimize the immediate financial impact on residents while ensuring that sufficient funds are available for long-term improvements. We understand that rate increases are never easy, and we are committed to transparency in how the funds will be used. This is a necessary step to ensure the continued safety, reliability and sustainability of our water system.

The City of Huntington is committed to providing residents with high-quality services, including reliable access to clean drinking water. Our City workers work diligently to maintain and improve infrastructure and ensure that community needs are met.

Public Hearing

The City will host a public hearing April 8th during the City Council meeting at 7 p.m. It will be held in Council Chambers, located on the third floor of the City Building, to provide residents with more information and the opportunity to address Council with questions and concerns.

We value the input of our residents, and we are committed to working together as a community to ensure the health and sustainability of our water resources.

Q&A

How does this relate to the water situation in Andrews?

  • It is not related. The water rate proposal before City Council is driven by City of Huntington needs. City of Huntington ratepayers will pay for City of Huntington improvements if the rate proposal passes. At the same time, addressing Andrews’ water situation will not rely on City of Huntington funding.

Why build new instead of renovate?

  1. Renovating the South Water Plant was a consideration. Through an extensive Preliminary Engineering Report, we found that renovations would cost significantly more than new construction.

  2. Renovating the South Water Plant would overstrain the North Plant’s ability to meet water customer needs on peak demand days. That’s because the South Plant would have to stop production during renovations. Instead, replacing the facility allows it to continue production until the new plant comes online.

  3. The South Water Plant was built in the 1950s – with 1950s technology. Since then, technological innovations have opened the door to newer, more efficient systems that are incompatible with structural and technological limitations at the aging South Plant.