NARROWSBURG, NY — Residents in Tusten’s water district may have recently seen their water rates rise. 

“What I have heard from members is there is a lot of confusion about the recent rate change,” said chamber president Julia Santo. 

Funding Narrowsburg’s water department involves several different factors—see infographic below for a brief overview. 

The rates residents pay for water changed at the end of 2021, rising a significant amount. The minimum charge for a residential user went from $35.60 to $127.00 per quarter, with the price per thousand gallons over 9,126 gallons going from $3.90 to $19, and to $29 past 14,001 gallons.

This increase covered increasing expenses for the water district, and also let the town fund Narrowsburg’s water district primarily through residents’ bills, ending the practice of using property taxes to make up the shortfall. 

Water rates were “out of whack” with expenses; the water rates were much lower than the New York State average, said town board member Jane Luchsinger, and they hadn’t kept pace with expenses. 

When the town changed its rates, it also changed the way those rates functioned. There are now different rates for residential, commercial, municipal, nonprofit and out-of-district residential customers, as well as for sprinklers and vacant parcels. Commercial customers pay $63.50 up front in addition, and an extra 1 cent per gallon for usage between 9,126 gallons and 14,000 gallons. 

One thing isn’t related to the rate increases—the project currently underway to upgrade Tusten’s outdated water infrastructure. That’s being funded entirely through grant money; updated rates give the town a better case for getting that grant money, but they don’t fund the project directly. 

The project team is currently ordering, acquiring and placing a new water tower to replace the existing one, according to Luchsinger. 

The town still needs to acquire additional funding for the project, but through grants; there are no plans for additional water rate increases, as the town board confirmed to the chamber.