Proposed Increase to Duluth’s Water Utility Rates

Duluth Public Utilities Commission Unanimously Voted to Send Proposal to the City Council, Despite Concerns from Outside Duluth

DULUTH, Minn. — The Duluth Public Utilities Commission voted unanimously at a public hearing on Tuesday evening to move forward with proposed variable increases to water utility bills.

The resolution would raise charges by 9.25% per year, totaling 48% over five years. This would impact all customers, including those outside city limits.

At the hearing, the commission took public comments from Rice Lake City Councilor Darrel Johnson and Proctor Deputy Mayor Troy DeWall.

“With the current inflation burden and high property tax valuation, it is extremely hard to put this rate increase on our citizens,” Johnson said. “Rice Lake does not want to pay for all of Duluth’s upgrades.”

“I don’t think anyone of us want to come in and not pay our fair share, but we want to make sure its composite with what attributes to our water requests,” DeWall added.

The resolution states the City’s water utility infrastructure is ‘badly deteriorated’ and ‘needs to be replaced.’ A large part is over 80 years old and becoming increasingly more expensive to repair. It adds that the increase in water rates is necessary to maintain, upgrade, and improve the service to the area long-term.

The proposal will now be presented to the City Council, where it would require a supermajority of six votes to not be put into place.