Draft irrigation meter rates would raise most bills; council asks for base rate tied to exact lot size
September 16, 2025, 4:05 p.m. · City Administration Conference Room, 51 E. Main St.
Reviewing Bowen Collins & Associates' draft culinary and pressurized irrigation rate study, staff said most of about 8,250 irrigation connections would pay more under metered rates even after the usual 30% drop in use. Councilmember Ryan Hunter pushed to replace seven lot-size groups with a base rate tied to each lot's exact square footage, and staff demonstrated a Yoppify dashboard to show residents their usage. Councilmember Ernie John, president and water master of the American Fork Irrigation Company, disclosed his dual role and said the 2007 practice of giving the city half of shareholders' water was never written down.
From the approved minutes.
Decisions at a glance
| Item | Result |
|---|---|
| Culinary and pressurized irrigation rate study | Discussed |
Agenda, item by item
Item 1 · Taxes and fees
Culinary and pressurized irrigation rate study
Discussed
Councilmember John said he has served 22 years on the irrigation board (15-16 as president) and about 12 as water master, and noted a potential conflict since the city is represented by City Administrator David Bunker in negotiations. Assistant City Administrator Camden Bird said data covered 88% of about 8,250 connections; 72% fall in the two smallest lot groups. The city received about $12 million in state grants for meters (maximum, as an early adopter), but not for staff to read them. Members asked Bowen Collins whether a per-square-foot base rate could replace lot-size groups while keeping four usage tiers, and noted large HOA, school and church lots would see unexpected decreases. Water reuse application with TSSD pending with the state engineer; TSSD plans about $1.2 billion in upgrades over a decade (reported Sept. 9).
- Consultant: Bowen Collins & Associates
- State meter grants: about $12 million
- Councilmember John: president/water master, American Fork Irrigation Company
What residents said
Irrigation bills rising under metered rates