Lukins water rates may go up to pay for improvements
Lukins Brothers Water Company users are about to see higher bills as the company secures a $2 million loan to begin a multi-year improvement plan.
Lukins is the water provider for the Mikasa center at the Y in South Lake Tahoe and then for people living on the east side of Emerald Bay Road.
The company was unable to get grants and government money for the project. The interest rate on the loan is anticipated to be 6.5 percent for 20 years.
They money will be used to improve water flow in the event of a fire, install new pipes and valves, install fire hydrants, and other improvements.
Residential customer with a 1-inch connection can expect a surcharge of $21.69 per month for the first 10 years, with it dropping to $19.72 for the second decade. Those with a three-quarter-inch connection would pay an additional $13.01 per month for 10 years, then $11.83 for the remainder of the loan.
People wanting to protest Lukins’ ability to secure the loan and therefore stop the rate increases may email the California Public Utilities Commission at water_division@cpuc.ca.gov.
— Lake Tahoe News staff report
It would be interesting to see a comparison of water rates for each supplier around Lake Tahoe. I believe the lowest water rate is now at Incline Village, ever since Tahoe Keys raised its water rate a couple years ago. There are huge differences among the different water suppliers.
Quarterly water rates as of April 1, 2011:
Incline Village — $102.87
South Tahoe PUD — $119.89
Tahoe City — $183.23
Kingsbury — $195.00
North Tahoe — $195.81
Cave Rock — $607.38.
Feel free to call any district you want to get the numbers. These are not secret facts.
Kathryn Reed, LTN publisher
What is the quarterly rate charged today by Lukins for a single family residence?
Kae,
Do the other Districts listed receive hundreds of thousands in property tax revenues in addition to the rates paid quarterly by rate payers? Do these Districts also handle sewage which further supplants their quarterly revenues? Also it’s kind of like comparing David to Goliath to compare these to STPUD as they are so small and Incline Village is in Nevada. STPUD should be compared to much larger Districts for a rational comparision.
I live in Lukins area and have had inconsitent service over the years. I question why the customers must pay for a private company’s improvements. Lukins should have been making small improvements over the years, not sock it to their customers!
I seem to have read the smaller water lines at the old Mikasa were the reasons for another retail outlet not entering into a lease at the Y. If so – hopefully Lukins will start there first so we can get that space leased.
In response to the Mikasa buildings not being leased due to the water lines being too small. I don’t know the water consumption in such an establishment but I would guess that the water usage would be minimal providing a toilet and sink for both sexes and not much else. I think our water company shouldn’t have waited until the last minute and then dropped the bomb requiring a major increase in water bills to it’s customers.