Anchorage Assembly to consider $890.65 monthly water meter rate for JBER connection

The Anchorage Assembly will introduce an ordinance Tuesday, Oct. 20, that would let the Anchorage Water and Wastewater Utility ask state regulators for an $890.65 monthly charge for 10-inch water meters. Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, not its water operator, would pay the rate for an upgraded connection serving the base.

The connection sits at the Davis Vault, a valve vault between Davis Highway on JBER and the Glenn Highway. Doyon Utilities, which owns and runs the base's water system, found the connection short on volume during high-flow events, according to an Assembly memorandum from Mayor Suzanne LaFrance. Doyon and the utility agreed to upgrade the connection for as-needed use.

Current tariffs set meter charges only up to 8 inches. The utility's calculation puts the cost of one 10-inch meter at $10,687.74 a year, counting it as 150 capacity-equivalent meters, about 1% of its 20,309 total. It projects about $11,000 a year in revenue from the new rate, according to its summary of economic effects.

If the Assembly approves the ordinance after a Nov. 4 public hearing, the utility will file the rate with the Regulatory Commission of Alaska. The commission takes 30 days of public comment and decides within 45 days of the filing whether to approve the rate or suspend it for further investigation.