Water rising, WHO pays?

YOU do, of course.

Read about it in the Colleyville Courier.

We noticed no mention of the Tarrant Regional Water District.  WHY is that?

Most area cities are paying more for water and wastewater treatment, and that means residents will likely see higher water bills.

North Richland Hills recently announced that its residents will see an average increase of $2.21 per month to cover the higher rates charged by the Trinity River Authority and Fort Worth, the city's suppliers. North Richland Hills passed along the higher charges to residents.

Westlake increased its rates starting Jan. 1, citing a 10 percent increase in costs. Fort Worth residents also saw their rates go up. Euless raised its rates Oct. 1 for users of more than 2,000 gallons per month.

By then, the Trinity River Authority is projecting that the price for water will be 26 cents per 1,000 gallons higher than today and the cost of sending back wastewater will be 62 cents per 1,000 gallons higher.

The authority has said that it is facing higher costs in obtaining raw water and meeting state and federal regulations and that it needs updated facilities to treat and transport water and wastewater. The area's population growth is increasing those needs, officials said.

All member cities of the authority will pay a combined $2.2 million more for water and sewer services this year than last year, said Michelle Clark, Trinity River Authority spokeswoman. "A little over $1 million of that cost increase is for raw water," she said. "About $1.3 million is for debt service."

"Water will become a scarce resource," he said. "We need to have water conservation, water management to keep those increases down."