City of Sarasota Considering Tiered Water Rates

If you are a utilities customer of the city of Sarasota, you may want to fix any leaky faucets soon. The city is considering adjusting its water and sewer rates to give a break to low-volume customers but charge more to those who turn on the tap the most often.

The proposed rates are intended to keep the utility system's budget healthy while taking into account continuing declines in overall water consumption as residents and businesses become more conservation-conscious.

The rates would cover nearly $33 million in anticipated annual costs--including nearly $18.9 million in operating expenses, $8.8 million to make bond payments and more than $5.1 million in ongoing capital expenses such as the replacement of aging pipelines.