Albuquerque, NM (KKOB) — The Water Authority’s governing board tonight approved a utility budget for FY2025 that
includes a 12 percent increase in water and sewer rates, or about $6 per month for the average residential
customer. The increase, the Water Authority’s first since July of 2022, will go into effect July 1 and be
reflected on August bills. The vote on the rate change was unanimous.
With the rate adjustment, the combined water and sewer bill for a typical single-family residential
customer using six units (about 5,000 gallons) of water will go from $50.70 to about $56.72. Board
Chairman Eric C. Olivas, who also serves as a Bernalillo County Commissioner, said the increase is
necessary to meet rising operational costs.
“Affordability is a priority for us, so we never take rate increases lightly,” Olivas said. “The reality we face,
however, is that the costs of providing water and sewer service have risen significantly. Fuel, power and
chemicals are more expensive, and construction costs are running as much as 70 percent higher than
anticipated in some cases.”
Olivas pointed out that even with the higher rates, Water Authority customers will still have some of the
most affordable water and sewer service in the region (see comparison diagram below).
“Customers will continue to pay less than those in Tucson, Denver, Austin and Colorado Springs—and
significantly less than those in Rio Rancho and Santa Fe,” he said
