The CFPUA Board Wednesday unanimously approved a $91.97 million operating budget for CFPUA for Fiscal Year 2022.
For the third year in a row, CFPUA’s operating budget does not include an increase to the rates customers pay for water and sewer service. The FY22 budget is a 2.2 percent increase over the current budget, accommodating the resources to keep up with customer growth and repair and replace aging infrastructure in the community’s water and sewer system.
Highlights from the FY22 budget can be found in the table below:
Later this year, the Board will vote on a proposal to change CFPUA’s rate structure aimed at improving rate affordability and equity and encouraging prudent water use practices.
Currently, CFPUA’s flat rate structure charges residential customers the same rate per 1,000 gallons, regardless of their level of water consumption. Under the proposed block rate structure, residential customers would be billed based on a tiered system, with stepped rates per 1,000 gallons of water consumption. In addition, separately metered irrigation for all customers also would be billed on a tiered basis.
Approximately 80 percent of CFPUA’s residential customers would see their bills decrease under the proposal, based on current water usage. If approved, the new rate structure would go into effect in January 2022.
In a separate item Wednesday, the Board approved a resolution honoring CFPUA Executive Director Jim Flechtner, who is retiring effective July 2.
Flechtner has been with CFPUA since it opened its doors in 2008. He was at the City of Wilmington prior to joining CFPUA as one of its first employees.
Flechtner joined CFPUA as Engineering Manager and in 2011 became Chief Operating Officer. In January 2014, the Board appointed him Executive Director, and he has occupied that position continuously ever since.
During his tenure as Executive Director, Flechtner oversaw infrastructure investments to meet the needs of CFPUA’s rapidly growing customer base. Flechtner has also guided CFPUA’s response to emerging contaminants such as PFAS, facilitating the ongoing project to add deep-bed granular activated carbon filters at CFPUA’s Sweeney Water Treatment Plant.