COUNTY NEWS RELEASE

The Department of Public Utilities is proposing sewer rate increases  spanning the next four years. Two public hearings for the rate changes are planned. The first public  hearing will take place at the Jan. 19 Board of Public Utilities meeting. If the BPU approves the  rate ordinance, a second hearing will be held on Feb. 8, 2022, at the Los Alamos County Council  meeting. The rates must be adopted by the County Council before they can be put in place. 

The proposed increases are 2 percent per year for four years, with the first increase taking effect on  Oct. 1, 2022. If approved, the increases would follow three annual increases that were previously  approved by the County Council. The last of those three increases took effect in October 2021.  

The White Rock wastewater treatment plant replacement was originally funded through the previous  increases, however rising construction costs have significantly impacted the cost of the project. The  proposed increases would cover $13 million in additional principal and interest on the loan for the  plant replacement.  

The proposed increases affect sewer charges across the board—monthly service fees, flat rates for  residential customers and variable rates for commercial and non-residential customers. For  residential customers, the increases equate to $1.14 per month the first year, plus $1.16 per month the  second year, plus $1.19 per month the third year, and an additional $1.21 per month the fourth year.  

The public hearings will be conducted via Zoom at 5:30 p.m. on Jan. 19, 2022, and if approved by  BPU, at 6 p.m. on Feb. 8 nty:. The Zoom links will be available at https://lacnm.com/council about  a week before each meeting.  

More information about the proposed rates can be found online at: https://ladpu.com/rates.