Coon Rapids residents are using a lot less water than a decade ago, nearly 1 billion gallons less a year. The city has cut its usage by an astonishing one-third.
Yet residents will now pay more when they turn on the tap. The average water bill will rise 12 percent this year, not including additional gallons used to sprinkle lawns. It's the third consecutive year water fees have risen in the north-metro suburb to pay for infrastructure upgrades.
"It's kind of hard to swallow. You tell people to conserve and their rates go up," said Council Member Steve Wells.
Other aging, built-out Twin Cities suburbs are facing similar predicaments. Bloomington's annual water usage has dropped by about 240 million gallons in the last 10 years, yet consumer and business costs have climbed on a nearly annual basis.
The problem is that as the number of gallons billed drops, so does revenue. At the same time, aging pipes, wells and pumps need to be overhauled — and that raises the costs.
"It's a necessary evil," Wells said. "We have to raise rates because we still have to pay for the infrastructure and the processing of the water. Nationally we've had some glaring examples of people who don't keep their infrastructure up. We never want to be that city. We've always been ahead of the game."
Water consumption has been cut, in part, because of smaller families and conservation efforts. Technological innovations, including low-flow shower heads and fixtures, also play a role. Low-flow toilets alone use 1.6 gallons per flush, compared to 7 gallons used by commodes made before 1980.
"Even washing machines and dishwashers have gone hyper-efficient," said Bob Cockriel, Bloomington utilities superintendent. "We are all benefiting from these more efficient replacements. We are serving more people, and they are using less and less water."
