Des Moines residents whose water usage spikes as they sprinkle their lawns next summer could see their bills climb under a plan approved by the Des Moines Water Works Board of Trustees.
The board in a Tuesday meeting adopted a rate structure that will charge customers more as their water use increases beyond 6,000 gallons a month, which typically occurs in the summer when they water their lawns. It holds bills mostly steady for those using water primarily for essential needs like cooking, bathing and washing clothes and even reduces costs for some who use less.
The new structure shifts how the utility charges customers, billing them more per 1,000 gallons instead of less as their usage rises. Under the plan, consumers will pay $5 per 1,000 gallons up to 2,000 gallons used, then $7.50 for every 1,000 gallons used up to 9,000 gallons, and $10 for every 1,000 gallons used over 9,000 gallons…