Serving Clovis, Portales and the Surrounding Communities

A look at regional water rates

The price of water to the customer varies in Roswell, Portales, Clovis and Lovington, but not widely.

The one exception is that the city of Clovis water has a higher rate per gallon charge. Clovis' water is provided by EPCOR, a private company, unlike the other cities. As a private company, EPCOR's rates are set by the state Public Regulation Commission.

The other distinction is the city of Portales, which has not raised its water rates in some areas for more than 10 years, proposed raising its rates by 30 percent per year for a period of five years at its council meeting earlier this month. This would be for residential as well as commercial users. The City Council voted to postpone a vote on the item until the staff revised its numbers.

City Manager Sarah Austin wrote in an email on Wednesday: "The Mayor said that Council needs more time to look at a better rate structure that is going to propose a more affordable increase to their constituents. Until that time that discussion has been postponed." 

City of Roswell public information officer Todd Wildermuth explained briefly what goes into the pricing of the city's water.

"The rates are set based on the cost of operating and maintaining the water system to get clean water to customers, as well as figuring into that formula any debt service that is being paid on financing for previous system improvements and also keeping some money aside to handle future improvements or emergency repairs," Wildermuth said.

Senior Communications Advisor for EPCOR USA Matthew Atwood said: "Rates for Clovis water service were changed back in 2019, the first instance in eight years. Rates increased approximately one percent year over year. This change was primarily to support needed infrastructure improvements to ensure that the system continues to provide safe, reliable water for homes and businesses in Clovis. For instance, in 2019 EPCOR was operating 72 wells - twice as many as the region had 20 years prior."

Lovington City Clerk Shannon Lester said in 2017 the commission approved ordinance 553, which raised the water rates by 2 percent for residential, commercial and industrial and it increases each July 1 by that amount, according to the minutes of the June 26 commission meeting.

A staff summary report referencing that ordinance states:

"The rate increases are necessary to ensure stability of the fund as well as meeting debt service requirements."

 
 
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