On Monday, February 6, the Nampa City Council voted (4-2) to approve an increase of 19.98%, or just over $30 more per year for the average residential lot, to residential and commercial irrigation water rates as well as a 19.98% increase to hook-up fees beginning March 1, 2023. City of Nampa irrigation customers currently pay a flat fee based on the size of their property lot to access irrigation water, which typically runs mid-April to late September, depending on availability.
The City of Nampa is responsible for 516 miles of irrigation pipe, 24% of which was installed in the 1970s-80s. Between 2016-2021, 102 line breaks occurred. Last year alone, 23 mainline breaks occurred. Our current estimates are that 107 miles are near the end of their useful life. While the City of Nampa’s conservative goal is to replace five miles of irrigation pipe annually, over the past three fiscal years, we have only replaced .88 miles. Emergency repairs due to deferred maintenance cost significantly more to repair than planned improvements.
The Board of Appraisers, which includes citizen representatives, recommended the percentage of increase based on the PPI-West (Producer Price Index) of 19.98% from October 2021 to October 2022. A fee increase was needed for operations, maintenance, and systematic replacement of irrigation infrastructure in order to provide continuous and reliable utility services. Hookup fees will apply to all new connections and change of use for existing connections on or after March 1, 2023.
To help offset the cost associated with growth-related infrastructure projects, last year the City of Nampa became the first city in Idaho to implement a utility impact fee which collects fees for irrigation, water and wastewater costs associated with new development. More information on Nampa’s utility impact fee and capital improvement plan can be found here.
For more information on Nampa’s irrigation system and the rate increase, please review pages 330-370 of the February 6 council packet. Additional information on utility rates and resolutions can be found at https://www.cityofnampa.us/1065/Rates-and-Resolutions.