At its Feb. 13 meeting, the Pagosa Area Water and Sanitation District (PAWSD) Board of Directors approved increases in rates and other fees for 2025.
The increases include a 3 percent increase on water rates and fill station charges and a 10 percent increase on wastewater rates, with wastewater availability of service and wastewater hauler charges rising by 30 percent.
The monthly service charge for water increased from $32.38 to $33.35 with the volume charge per 1,000 gallons growing from $5.81 to $5.98 for 2,001 to 8,000 gallons of usage, from $11.63 to $11.98 for 8,001 to 20,000 gallons of usage and from $14.60 to $15.04 for more than 20,001 gallons of usage.
Water fill station charges per 1,000 gallons rose from $12.55 to $12.93, and water availability of service fees increased from $14.73 to $15.17.
Monthly service charges for wastewater increased from $42.64 per equivalent unit (EU) to $46.90 per EU while the short-term rental monthly service charge rose from $59.70 to $65.66.
Wastewater availability of service fees increased from $16.25 to $21.13 per month, and wastewater hauler charges per 100 gallons of waste rose from $17.26 to $22.44.
Water and wastewater capital investment fees also increased by 3 percent, taking the water capital investment fee from $8,958 to $9,227 and the wastewater capital investment fee from $15,697 to $16,168.
At the meeting, PAWSD Business Manager Aaron Burns explained the increases to the board, adding that the changes were included in the PAWSD budget.
As discussed at previous board meetings during the 2025 budgeting process, the increases in rate for wastewater were lower than those mandated by the district’s rate study (a 10 percent increase instead of a 30 percent increase) due to district savings and changes in the allocation of future infrastructure costs.
Burns explained that various miscellaneous fees for the district are adjusted each year after consulting with PAWSD vendors and assessing PAWSD labor costs.
He highlighted that the wastewater connection fee for a three-quarter-inch meter would increase from $2,150 to $2,200.
He also noted that the cancellation or no-show fee for a water or wastewater connection would increase from $100 to $250 in an effort to decrease the number of no-show clients, which became a problem in 2024.
PAWSD board member Bill Hudson questioned if the district could refuse to connect clients who do not appear for their connection appointment, commenting that this would make them “think twice.”
Although not noted by Burns, the fee changes also include an increase of water equity buy-in fees from $4,323 to $4,706 and a decrease in wastewater equity buy-in fees from $3,425 to $3,372.
Burns then asked the board for questions, with no board members offering questions about the fee changes.
The board then unanimously moved to approve the changes to the district’s fees.
