STPUD board to consider rate increase

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - The South Tahoe Public Utility District (STPUD) Board of Directors is considering new water and sewer rates that would go into effect July 1, 2023. Its water, sewer, and wastewater systems require ongoing maintenance, replacement, and improvements. The new rates for the 2024 fiscal year would set STPUD on the path to installing $218M in water and sewer infrastructure improvements over the next 10 years through their Capital Improvement Program.

Increases to the water and sewer rates are being proposed to repair and replace water and sewer systems that were originally installed 50-90 years ago. If approved, there would be 15,000 feet of water main replacement per year to start, getting them closer to the annual goal of 22,500 feet per year.

For a typical residential customer, the proposed monthly increase would be $4.56 for sewer and $6.19 for water.

“The District’s complex water, sewer, and recycled water systems need ongoing maintenance, replacement, and improvements,” said John Thiel, STPUD general manager. “The proposed rate increases would continue to fund the water and sewer pipeline replacement program and help keep up with escalating power, chemical, and construction costs.”

The Board will vote on rates at its meeting on Thursday, May 18 at 2 p.m. in the South Tahoe Public Utility District’s Board Room, located at 1275 Meadow Crest Drive, South Lake Tahoe.

“If the new rates are approved, our combined water and sewer rates will be 30 percent lower than the regional average,” said Thiel. “By investing in our system today, we will lower long-term costs, help prevent expensive emergencies, protect the environment, and ensure long-term, quality service.”

STPUD is a public agency that supplies water for drinking and fire suppression and provides sewage collection, treatment, and export to protect Lake Tahoe’s delicate ecosystem.

For more information on projects the proposed rates would fund and to see a breakdown of the proposed rates, visit stpud.us/customers/improvements.