ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE) – The Albuquerque Bernalillo County Water Utility Authority is making sure people have one less thing to worry about during this pandemic. They announced on Wednesday that water and sewer rates won’t go up this year. The water authority didn’t want to become another burden for people during the coronavirus pandemic.
“Historically our board’s commitment has been to keep rates affordable but obviously that’s even more important during times of economic hardship,” said David Morris with Water Authority.
Morris also said its solid credit rating means lower interest rates when it borrows money for big projects. The authority enacted three rate hikes over the past seven years, to move forward with hundreds of millions of dollars in projects, from the water treatment plant to replace aging pipes around the city.
“It’s not a rich community by any means and for our board, it has always been a priority to be very careful about how we raise rates,” said Morris. He said they have about seven projects underway or on tape for this spring and summer. The projects will cost about $20 million.
The Water Authority said their rates remain among the lowest in the region when compared to cities such as Tucson, Denver, Austin, Rio Rancho, and Santa Fe. The Water Authority is also helping metro residents remotely with their spring yard projects.
They are offering free landscaping consultations via email at AskAnExpert@abcwua.org. You can get recommendations from experts on the best plants to put in and how to water them as well as advice on maintaining trees, repairing irrigation systems and other suggestions for desert-friendly landscaping.
