For the first time in 15 years, the city is increasing water and sewer rates to pay for plant maintenance and upgrades.
The 5.72 percent increase will become effective Oct. 1, said Utilities Director George Haughney.
The average water and sewer bill will rise from $48.11 to $51.02 a month, he said, and will generate about $300,000 a year in additional revenues.
Property owners who pay a monthly $1.89 per 1,000 gallons of water with a $7.33 water connection fee will be charged $1.97 and $7.63 respectively. The monthly $1.53 charged per 1,000 gallons of wastewater will go up to $1.65, and the monthly $13.42 sewer hookup fee will rise to $14.43.
“It’s not a huge increase,” Haughney said.
He said a consultant, paid about $15,000, recommended the increase to keep up with debt obligation and prepare the city for future improvements.
The increase was unanimously approved by commissioners Tuesday night and Haughney said city officials might consider another increase next year.
“We want to make sure that the water that’s being used pays for itself,” Commissioner Angelica Palank said.
Haughney said commissioners waited so long to increase rates because the city had enough resources to maintain the system and invest in capital improvement projects. He said the city recently has drawn from reserves to upgrade the system.
“We need the money,” Haughney said.
Cooper City began providing residents with water in 1983, when it bought Cooper City Utilities, a private provider, from Sunrise for about $13 million.
The city, which draws from five wells, operates a water membrane plane that uses reverse osmosis to produce 3 million gallons of water daily, Haughney said.
In addition to a $3.7 million deep-well project nearing completion, Haughney said the city is expanding the water plant.
He said the city has plans to replace its old lime-softening plant with two water membrane plants at its facility at 11791 SW 49th St.
Thomas Monnay can be reached at or 954-385-7924.
