Presenting the Cost of Service & Proposed 2025-2029 Rate Schedule was held on 3/27/24 @ 5:30 PM in the EAWSD Public Conf. Room

On Wednesday, March 27th, approximately eighteen EAWSD customers/ratepayers attended a formal Public Hearing at the EAWSD Administrative Building's Public Conference Room to hear testimony on a proposed rate adjustment to our community's water rates. Attorney Peter Gould, an independent Hearing Officer certified by the NM Public Regulation Commission (NMPRC), conducted the Public Hearing. The proposed rate adjustment is based on a year-long EAWSD Cost of Service and Rate Design Study, conducted by the District's Rate Study Advisory Committee, in conjunction with rate consultant Nelisa Heddin of Nelisa Heddin Consulting, LLC. The current rate study process started in the spring of 2022, with a reevaluation of the applied concepts and findings that resulted from the 2019 Rate Study resulting in the current 2020-2024 Rate Schedule. Using that information, the Rate Study Advisory Committee and Ms. Heddin began an in-depth analysis of our water utility's current and projected financial status along with goals of ensuring adequate revenues to fund
much-needed future water needs systematically, (i.e. new wells or new water supply sources and the replacement of aging, less reliable infrastructure) and to ensure that we can continue to retire the community's debt from the initial purchase of the water system.

Use the Link Below to view a copy of the 3/27/24 Public Rate Hearing TRANSCRIPT as submitted by the Court Reporter following the formal Public Hearing:

Next Step Following Public Hearing: The Public Hearing officer has 30 days after receiving the transcript to render his decision, on or before 4/24/24.