City Of Minnetonka:

Press release from the City of Minnetonka:

02/01/2022 10:00 a.m.

It may be the middle of winter but utility bills are a reminder of a hot and dry summer.

In 2021, a severe drought produced some of the highest water usage in years. With most of Minnesota still suffering with some level of drought conditions, climatologists predict 2022 could be another challenging year.

As with most cities, when it comes to water, Minnetonka residents pay for what you use. Metro area homes tend to use more water than the state average of 52 gallons of water per person each day. Irrigation
systems are often the biggest culprit.

Take steps early this season to avoid bigger bills later:

• Repair or upgrade irrigation systems
• Inspect and repair leaky faucets and toilets
• Use dishwashers instead of handwashing

There is another contributor to utility bills: Aging infrastructure. Each year the number of water main breaks increases.

Minnetonka continues to use a pay-as-you-go approach spreading the costs of expensive infrastructure replacement across several years rather than charging special assessments.

The city’s tiered rates are designed to encourage conservation. The highest users are billed nearly twice as much as the lowest users. For 2022, households with low to average water use will see water and sewer rate increases of just 2 or 3 percent. Visit minnetonkamn.gov/utilitybilling to review the 2022 residential utility rates.

This press release was produced by the City of Minnetonka. The views expressed here are the author’s own.