Hopewell Borough’s highest water users will experience some financial relief in the new year with council members reducing the water rates implemented in April.
The reduced water rates were approved at the governing body’s December meeting. In recent months, business owners have voiced frustrations to about the increases impacting their ability to do business and operate.
“We are following through with something we talked about not just last month but when we had very difficult conversations last spring about our water rates,” Mayor Ryan Kennedy said, adding that they are changing the rates particularly for the large users.
“… This is a difficult rebalancing of the costs between residential and large commercial users.”
The new rates were effective Jan. 1.
New rates:
Exceeding 40,000 – $22 per every 1,000 gallons (Previous rate – $27.99 per every 1,000 gallons).
30,000-40,000 – $21 per every 1,000 gallons (Previous rate – $26.92 per every 1,000 gallons).
20,000-30,000 – $20 per every 1,000 gallons (Previous rate – $25.87 per every 1,000 gallons).
10,000-20,000 gallons – $24.88 per every 1,000 gallons (Previous rate – $24.88 per every 1,000 gallons).
5,000-10,000 gallons – $22.99 per every 1,000 gallons (Previous rate – $23.90 for every 1,000 gallons).
For the first 2,000 gallons of water used or less in each quarter, the rate is $39.45. This is the minimum charge, which also applies at residences and commercial businesses where water usage is not metered.
This minimum charge remains the same as the rate implemented in April.
“We don’t have different rates for commercial versus residential customers, but we do tier our rates,” Kennedy explained. “So, the more water you use the more expensive it gets.
“By this action our intention is to continue to do our best to have a fair balance between our types of users and to provide relief for our restaurants and heavy water using businesses which we heard loud and clear through our process that our community wants to support.”
Councilman David Mackie noted how the highest users had the largest increases when they changed the water rates earlier in spring 2024.
“Looking at our budget for 2025 and all the various factors, pros and cons, we were able to basically stay revenue neutral or at least make our revenue targets and still make those adjustments,” he said, adding that they had to wait to make the changes to the rates because council needed a clearer picture on the 2025 budget.
“We decided to prioritize the adjustments to the higher users because the businesses are the ones that very often do not have much choice and can only economize so much. It’s modest but it is the best we can do under the circumstances.”
