Edwards Aquifer users will pay more for water in 2010

The Edwards Aquifer Authority’s board of directors approved a rate hike for the first time in five years for its 2010 budget.

The organization’s $13.9 million operating budget includes an aquifer management fee increase for municipal and industrial groundwater users. The board boosted the fee by $2, from $37 per acre-foot to $39 per acre-foot.

The increase will help fund new initiatives designed to improve the authority’s ability to protect and manage the aquifer. The rate for agricultural users is set by statute and remains unchanged. Among the initiatives are efforts to address abandoned and deteriorated wells in the Edwards Aquifer region and a recharge enhancement program to facilitate projects aimed at increasing recharge to the aquifer.

San Antonio Business Journal