Chenowith Water rates to rise!

Residents of Chenowith Water PUD can expect water rates to go up 25 percent in November, another 15 percent next March, and, probably, yet another 15 percent in October next year.
     That's what the utility's board voted to do at its September meeting, though only the November and March increases were guaranteed.
     The need for a projected October 2010 increase will depend on the budget requirements for the 2010-2011 fiscal year, which won't be determined until next June. 
     The board plans a public meeting to explain the changes in detail. That meeting is set for 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 6 at Columbia Cinemas, where there is comfortable seating and presentations can be made on the big screen for easy viewing. 
     Those two guaranteed increases will come on top of a 39 percent increase taken this past February for homeowners in the district, when the base rate went from $17.60 to $24.52 for residential customers. The commodity rate - which measures actual usage - went up 17 percent at that time, from $1 per thousand gallons for the first 20,000 gallons to $1.17.