Water rate increases, including the best way to determine them, are still in development in the Nevada Irrigation District. A cost of services study, released in February, stated that raw water rates, including agricultural, would have to go up as much as 46-percent to cover the district’s rising transfer and operational expenses. NID Board Director Laura Peters, one of two directors on a committee studying the issue, is not indicating that rates will go up that much. But she says district revenue continues to lag behind…

The study says around 13-million dollars in hydroelectric revenue will be needed to close the funding gap, and as a way to keep rates reasonable. Meanwhile, rates for treated water customers nearly cover district expenses and are not expected to go up. But Peters says more options should be considered…

After several more meetings are held by the full Board, a proposal is expected to be rolled out to the public. But a final decision on the rate structure is not expected until late this year.