EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) — El Paso Water held a community open house on Tuesday, Dec. 2 for residents to learn about the utility’s proposed Fiscal Year 2026-2027 budget and rate increase.

The open house was held at the company’s TecH20 Learning Center in East El Paso.

El Paso Water presented its proposed budgets for water, wastewater and stormwater to the Public Service Board (PSB) on Thursday, Nov. 20. If approved, households could see a nearly $10 increase per month on their water bill, a 12% increase from the current bill.

El Paso Water’s proposed budget could see $10 hike in water bills

“Those were the three customer priorities: high quality water services, replacing aging infrastructure and maintaining reliable service. So this budget does reflect what we are trying to do with this rate increase, with the money that goes into everything that customers pay. It is going back into improving and investing in our water, wastewater and stormwater,” said Denise Parra, public affairs officer for El Paso Water.

The utility company is proposing a $830 million budget for capital infrastructure improvements (water, wastewater and stormwater), which include huge investments in system reliability, rehabilitation and water supply to support the growing El Paso community, according to EP Water.

Some El Pasoans who attended the open house meeting said they welcomed the rate increase because of where El Paso Water intends to direct funding.

“It’s nice that they show you where the prices are. There’s no way that we’re going to get what we want in El Paso without paying for it. It’s nice to see that it’s being used correctly,” said Mike Mendiola.

“I think it’s important to know that the rate increase will go back into the El Paso community –back into the water that we drink, back into the water that we need to treat. So I think that makes it different for some of the other utilities because that is directly affecting your children, the schools, the businesses and the overall health of the community,” Michael Ramirez said.

Others, however, still shared concerns about what they are being charged.

“My only complaint, of course, is that bills are going up and I don’t like paying $13 in some sense for my home water bill for the month, and then having to pay $84 for the entire bill because it includes trash pickup and this and that. I want to pay a water bill. That’s it,” said Josefina Mendiola.

Another resident, who did not want to be identified, said they were not satisfied with the open house meeting because they felt it lacked transparency. The questioned why El Paso Water will only hold a couple of meetings before the vote next month, and why they were not held throughout different areas of the city.

The person also said that it was “poor timing” of El Paso Water to request a rate increase at the same time as Texas Gas Service and El Paso Electric. He added that at some point, the utility companies will have to figure out how to provide relief to its customers.

The PSB will hold public meetings on Dec. 10 and again Jan. 14, before the board votes on the budgets on Jan. 14. If approved, the budget rates and fees will take effect on March 1.

For presentations, videos and other details, you can visit EP Water’s proposed budget page here.

Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KTSM 9 News.