Secondary water rates set for Monticello and Blanding reflect very dry conditions

The City Councils in Monticello and Blanding have approved secondary water rates following a dry winter.
At the April 12 meetings, the councils placed their towns in level three of four levels.
Blanding and Monticello each run a four-tier system allowing the cities to charge different rates for secondary water, depending on drought conditions
The different tiers are designed to encourage conservation during times of drought.
Information about the Blanding City rates can be found online at BlandingWater.com
In Blanding, residents are allotted different amounts of water based on rate and season. A base charge of $22 is applied to all accounts, with April, May, September, and October listed as shoulder months and June through August considered the summer.
The orange tier allows 14,000 gallons a month in the shoulder months, and 23,000 gallons a month in the summer months.
Those who use less than 75 percent of the allotment pay $1.52 per 1,000 gallons, while those that 250 percent and above pay $3.50 per 1,000 gallons.
The Monticello tiered system has different charges depending on how much water is used. For example, all four tiers have a base rate of $20 for any amount used, up to 11,000 gallons a month.
The-third“severe”tier charges $1 per thousand gallons between 11,000 through 30,000. If the city were in the fourth “crisis” tier, the charge would be $5 per thousand gallons.
The rates rise as more gallons are used. For example, in the “severe” tier, users are charged $30 for every 1,000 gallons used above 61,000 gallons. The charge is $75 for every 1,000 gallons in the “crisis” tier.