Away for the winter? Spokane residents may soon have to pay for water, whether or not it’s being used

Spokane residents who leave for warmer climes during the winter may soon start having to pay for their water services while away.

On Monday, the Spokane City Council heard the first reading of an ordinance that would bill customers the basic water service charge whenever water is available, even if the water has been turned off. The 2023 monthly charge for residential customers living inside the city is $18.76, and $28.14 for residential customers outside the city who receive city water services.

The City Council will vote on the ordinance at its Feb. 27 meeting.

The change was spurred by a new utility billing system that launched in November, according to a staff report. The old system allowed the city to turn off rates temporarily, such as for customers moving south for the winter, during repairs, inspections or otherwise.

However, the new billing system is designed to charge the basic water rate whenever water is available, regardless of whether the water has been temporarily shut off.

Approximately 765 customers will be affected by the change, according to a staff report. If the ordinance is passed, those customers will have their service charge activated starting March 1.