ALBUQUERQUE BERNALILLO COUNTY
WATER UTILITY AUTHORITY
BILL NO. ____R-23-13___________
RESOLUTION
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Amending Water Service Policies for the South Valley Drinking Water Project
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WHEREAS, Bernalillo County, the City of Albuquerque, and the Village of Los Ranchos entered into a Memorandum of Understanding in 2001 for the Valley Utilities Project (VUP) to protect groundwater supplies in the Middle Rio Grande Valley of Bernalillo County and to provide potable water and sanitary sewer service to the developed but unserved areas of the North and South Valley in an effort to protect the groundwater resource; and
WHEREAS, the South Valley Drinking Water Project (SVDWP) is a component of the VUP which was developed to provide a reliable water system to residents and businesses in the South Valley at a scale/level of service that is consistent with land use designations and densities from the adopted land use plans; and
WHEREAS, the SVDWP will address water quality and fire protection issues by providing a reliable public water system to serve existing but unserved developed properties; and
WHEREAS, the Bernalillo County Water Conservation Ordinance was amended in 2010 to include required water conservation measures that would be incorporated into the design and construction of new development; and
WHEREAS, the Water Authority adopted Guiding Principles for Urban Planning and Development (R-07-6) with one policy stating “In an effort to facilitate solutions to water and wastewater outside of the service area and regionally, the Authority should provide services provided that such services are fully paid for, not subsidized by Authority customers, and when the public health and welfare is served”; and
WHEREAS, the Water Authority established water service policies for the SVDWP in May 2008 (R-08-12) which defined Phases 1-4 of the project; and
WHEREAS, the Water Authority amended the water service policies for the SVDWP in June 2010 (R-10-8) which included Phases 5 and 6 of the project; and
WHEREAS, the Water Authority amended the water service policies for the SVDWP in September 2013 (R-13-14) which included Phase 7 of the project; and
WHEREAS, Phases 8 and 9 of the SVDWP are being evaluated in a Preliminary Engineering Report (PER) that is currently in draft form. This PER will be used to identify subphases to be constructed with County provided ARPA funds. The initial subphases are anticipated to be bid for construction in early 2024; and
WHEREAS, the Water Authority’s System Expansion Ordinance requires connection to the existing system for newly developed properties within 200 feet of an existing water distribution or non-potable water line or sewer collection line.
BE IT RESOLVED BY THE WATER AUTHORITY:
Section 1. Water service connections made available through the South Valley Drinking Water Project (SVDWP) shall be defined as the area shown in Exhibit A, SVDWP service area. This resolution shall act as a development agreement for water service for all properties within the SVDWP service area. The SVDWP shall not expand the Water Authority’s Established Service Area boundary.
Section 2. Connections for water service shall comply with the Water Authority’s Water and Sewer Rate Ordinance and the Water and Sewer System Expansion Ordinance, as amended from time to time. Individual customers within the SVDWP service area shall pay the Utility Expansion Charge (UEC) that is imposed at the time of a service connection. Consistent with the Water Authority’s Guiding Principles for Urban Planning and Development (R-07-6) and for the purposes of public health and welfare, the Water Resources Charge (WRC) shall be waived for existing developed properties that have permitted structures within the SVDWP service area before the effective date of R-08-12 which is May 21, 2008. Newly developed properties inside the SVDWP area but outside the Water Authority’s Established Service Area shall pay the WRC. Newly developed properties inside both the SVDWP service area and the Water Authority’s Established Service Area shall not pay the WRC as shown in Exhibit A.
Section 3. Connection for water service shall require concurrent sewer service connection to the Water Authority’s wastewater system.
Section 4. The Water Authority shall provide water service to customers in Phase 8 and 9 as construction funds become available.