The Nicholasville City Commission passed a water rate increase recently with a unanimous vote after the Kentucky River Authority announced it was increasing the rates on water withdrawn for local use.

“The Kentucky River Authority announced six to eight weeks ago that they are increasing their rates to draw water from the Kentucky River,” finance director Bob Amato said. “We have to pay a fee for all the water that we pull out of the river to put in our system.”

The KRA is funded through water user fees assessed on withdrawing water from the Kentucky River Basin in two different tiers.  

Tier I fees are based on water withdraw from any source which is located within the boundaries of the Kentucky River Drainage Basin.

Tier II fees are an additional charge on any water which is withdrawn from the main stem of the Kentucky River which is reserved for the maintenance and replacement of the locks and dams on the Kentucky River.

Amato said there has not been a general rate increase on resident’s water bills since 2010. With the adjustment, Amato proposed the city commission move forward with a 4 percent adjustment to the water rates.

“As I understand it for the average resident and customer this would be about 65 cents a month,” City Commissioner Patty Teater asked at a recent Nicholasville City Commission meeting.

Amato corrected her, stating the increase would likely cost a customer $1.65 more a month.

“Bob provided us with major comparison and the Jessamine County water district is certainly still the cheapest in this area,” commissioner Doug Blackford said. “Then if you want to get a broader research we are still some of the cheapest water in the state of Kentucky.”

For further information on KRA visit https://finance.ky.gov/offices/kra/pages/default.aspx