ANAHEIM : Power, Water Rates for City to Change

Most residents won’t see an increase in their water and electric bills, but large water users, businesses and industries will, under a plan adopted this week by the City Council.

The plan calls for decreases of up to 7% in water rates for the smallest users living in single-family homes, but increases of up to 10% for the largest users. Only 10% of all single-family homes will pay the increase, city officials said.

Apartment and condominium residents will see a 3.6% increase in their water bills and commercial and industrial users will see a 7.3% increase.

The council then overrode a Public Utility Department administration plan that would have tacked on a 1% rate increase for all electric users, opting instead to forgo a residential increase and bill all businesses an increase of about 1.3%.

The council rejected the administration’s original proposal, which called for residential rate increases of 2.6% for water and 3.8% for electricity.

The increased revenue from the rate increases--about $2.9 million--will be used to put electrical lines underground and to connect a New Mexico power plant to the city’s electric system. The money also will go toward installing metal pipes to replace plastic piping that is leaking and to begin operation of a new water well.

Because the increase is not as large as originally planned, the department said it will borrow $2 million so that none of the projects will be delayed.

The council last approved a utility increase in December, 1991. The average electric rate then was increased 3.5% and the average water rate went up 4.5%.