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Cedar Hill Water Prices

December 17, 2007

I get asked quite often about Cedar Hill water rates. It’s no secret that our water prices are higher than some of our neighbor cities. There are a number of reasons Cedar Hill water is relatively expensive: 1) Joe Pool Lake, 2) the cost of infrastructure, 3) the relative youth of the city, and 4) the sewer treatment facilities.Joe Pool LakeYears ago, before the lake was built, there was a state-wide water crisis. Water was getting very difficult to obtain and there was a concern that Dallas might not continue to sell water to Cedar Hill and surrounding cities.The city council at that time chose to help pay for a part of Lake Joe Pool in exchange for the right to take 6 million gallons per day from the lake. There was also the thought that the lake would be an economic catalyst for this area, and particularly Cedar Hill.The actual arrangement is somewhat complicated, but Cedar Hill currently escrows funds so we can pay off our portion of the debt when it becomes due.As it turned out, the water-crisis resolved and Dallas continued to sell water to nearby cities.Cost of InfrastructureAlthough most of our water and sewer lines are installed by developers, the City still has to install some lines. It should be no surprise that water and sewer lines are incredibly expensive.Since we must install lines in shallow soil, we must dig through rock in order to install lines. Uneven terrain also adds to the cost. We pay approximately twice as much per linear foot as cities without these issues.Relative Youth of the CitySince most of the city’s growth has occurred during the last twenty years, we are still making debt payments on most of the lines we have installed. Older cities have completed the debt payments on most of their infrastructure.Sewer PlantsFinally, the cost of sewage treatment adds to the cost of water.We send sewer to three different plants to be treated. These plants are Central, Ten Mile and Red Oak. The Ten Mile and Red Oak plants are relatively new and their treatment costs are expensive when compared to older plants due to increased cost to construct and outstanding debt.

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