Utilities

The City of Alamo provides the public with potable water through a 5 million gallon per day water plant that has been in full operation since March 2002. This operation has increased water pressure to residents. If you continue to experience low water pressure please call our Public Works Department at 787-8321.

Utility deposits are required for anyone wishing to connect water service at an existing location. Utility deposits are set up only under the property owner’s name, no accounts are established under a renter’s name. Owners must provide ownership documents and valid identification. Residential accounts are charged a $250.00 deposit plus a $30.00 connection fee. Commercial accounts are charged a $300.00 deposit plus a $30.00 connection fee. The installation of a water tap will be required if there is no existing connection, this is a $600.00 water tapping fee for a ¾ inch taps. Utility deposits are refundable when water services are disconnected.

Disconnection of service may be requesting via telephone, personal visit or by mail. Please be prepared to provide a telephone number.

Weekend, holiday and/or after regular business hour reconnection services will be provided at a forty dollar ($40.00) re-connection fee.  The employee to conduct re-connection must get direct verbal authorization from the Utility Billing Department Supervisor, Director of Public Works, or the City Manager, or authorized staff as may be assigned by said personnel.  The employee must turn in written  documentation of the re-connection  to  the  utility  billing  office  by  8:30  am  on  the  next  regular business day.  If payment  from the reconnected customer  is not received by five o-clock (5:00) pm on the next regular business day from  the  reconnection date, water services  will be  disconnected  and an  additional  $40.00 re-connection staff service charge  will  apply  with  no  further  reconnection  of  water  services  made  until full  and  complete payment is received.

Summer rate refers to the removal of the garbage fee when a customer will be gone for an extended period of time. Customers must contact the utility department to request the summer rate and to provide a forwarding address for the utility bills. Upon notification, the clerks will issue an order for the garbage can to be picked up and stored by Republic Services. Replacement of a broken or inoperable 96 gallon garbage container should be reported to the Alamo City Hall utility department by calling (956) 787-0006.  Please be prepared to give the physical address and the account name in order to facilitate the order request.

Utility billing is done for a twenty-eight to thirty day period. The water meters for utility accounts beginning with numbers from 01 to 12 are read the first full week of each month. The water meters for utility accounts beginning with number 15 through 26 are read the third full week of each month. If you have concerns on the accuracy of meter readings, we recommend that you take a meter reading yourself in order to compare it to the meter reading on your bill. Should it show any discrepancies, please feel free to contact the utility billing office.

Payment due dates are printed on your utility bill which provide for a fifteen day period. There is a ten-day grace period from the due date to the final disconnection date for those accounts that have exceeded the cut off amount of $60.00 or more. Accounts that are not paid by the final due date or final extension date must pay a disconnect processing fee of $30.00 and must pay the entire delinquent balance in order to have water services restored if they have already been disconnected or to avoid disconnection.

Payment extensions beyond the final due date will be allowed for a period of no more than 5 total additional days starting from the day after the final due date for a $5 extension arrangements fee. Disconnection of services will take effect on the 6th day with a disconnect processing fee of $30.00 being automatically assessed for non-payment. In cases where the customer’s bill is three (3) times greater than normal due to a leak on the customer’s side, customer oversight or in any way for reasons that are not the responsibility or fault of the City, the customer may request installment payment arrangements of up to 3 months for the portion of the bill above the prior (3) month average for an installment arrangements fee of $5.00.

Pleas contact our office if:

• You are moving into a new location, to provide our office with pertinent information.
• Leave town for an extended period of time so that we can place your account on summer rate or disconnect service.
• Suspect any unlawful water meter tampering.
• Need to report broken main or water leaks.
• Damage done to water meter, box or lid.
• Unauthorized use of water.

ORDINANCE 04-02-17

AN ORDINANCE AMENDING THE CODE OF ORDINANCES OF THE CITY OF ALAMO, TEXAS, TITLE 8 – PUBLIC UTILITIES, CHAPTER 5, UTILITY AND SANITATION RATES AND CHARGES; SECTION 8-5-1 WATER RATES AND CHARGES, SUBSECTION C­ USER RATES BY IMPLEMENTING A METER-SIZE BASED MINIMUM CHARGE STRUCTURE FOR WATER SERVICE; INCREASING MINIMUM CHARGES AND VOLUMETRIC RATES EACH YEAR FROM MARCH 2017 THROUGH MARCH 2021 AT THE LEVELS INDICATED IN THE RATE TABLES PROVIDED WITHIN THIS ORDINANCE, SAID RATE INCREASES TO AUTOMATICALLY GO INTO EFFECT ON MARCH 1, 2017 AND FOR EACH SUBSEQUENT YEAR THEREAFTER THROUGH MARCH 2021 UNLESS THE CITY COMMISSION TAKES ACTION TO REVISE THIS ORDINANCE; AUTHORIZING THE MAYOR TO ORDER THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE AMENDED RATE SCHEDULE WITHIN AND WITHOUT THE CITY; DECLARING A PUBLIC PURPOSE; PROVIDING A REPEALER; PROVIDING FOR SEVERABILITY; AND SETTING AN EFFECTIVE DATE

WHEREAS, the Board of Commissioners of the City of Alamo, Texas, deems it in the best interest of the City to increase the water rates inside and outside the City limits to maintain the financial integrity of the City of Alamo, Texas, water and sewer system;

NOW THEREFORE BE IT ORDAINED BY THE BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS OF THE CITY OF ALAMO, TEXAS THAT:

Section I. That the Code of Ordinances of the City of Alamo, Title I-Public Utilities, Chapter S-Utility and Sanitation Rates and Charges and Section 8-5-l­ Water Rates and Charges, Subsection C – User rates, is amended so that such Subsection shall read as follows:

C. Water User Rates: For each defined Customer Class, monthly water rates and charges shall be based on metered water consumption as described on the following tables scheduled for annual adjustments beginning on March 1, 2017 and every year that follows up through March 2021.

Commercial  and Industrial  Category:  Motels,  hotels,  tourist  courts,trailer  parks,offices, stores,lumberyards,cafes, taverns,service stations,schools,  packing sheds,car washes, laundromats, beauty shops,barbershops, and any other entity that is considered commercial or industrial, will be charged as follows:

Section II. This Ordinance shall be effective after its passage and signature by the Mayor of the City of
Alamo, Texas.

Section III. The City Secretary of the City of Alamo, Texas is hereby authorized and directed to cause
Section I thereof to be published in the Code of Ordinances for the City of Alamo, Texas.

Section IV . The City Secretary of the City of Alamo,Texas is hereby authorized and directed to publish a notice of this Ordinance in the official newspaper in and for the City of Alamo, Texas, according to law.

Section V. If any section, or part of any section, paragraph or clause of this Ordinance is declared invalid or unconstitutional for any reason, such as declaration not be held to invalidate or impair the validity, force or effect of any such section, part, of any other section, paragraph or clause of this Ordinance.

PASSED AND APPROVED by the Board of Commissioners of the City of Alamo, Texas,at their regular meeting held in the Alamo City Hall on the 21st day of February, 2017.

ORDINANCE 05-02-17

AN ORDINANCE AMENDING THE CODE OF ORDINANCES OF THE CITY OF ALAMO, TEXAS, TITLE 8 – PUBLIC UTILITIES, CHAPTER 5, UTILITY AND SANITATION RATES AND CHARGES; SECTION 8-5-2
SEWER RATES AND CHARGES, SUBSECTIONS A AND B – BY INCREASING THE MINIMUM CHARGES AND VOLUMETRIC RATES FOR ALL CUSTOMER CLASSES EACH YEAR FROM MARCH 2017
THROUGH MARCH 2021 AT THE LEVELS INDICATED IN THE RATE TABLES PROVIDED WITHIN THIS ORDINANCE, SAID RATE INCREASES TO AUTOMATICALLY GO INTO EFFECT ON MARCH 1,
2017 AND FOR EACH SUBSEQUENT YEAR THEREAFTER THROUGH
MARCH 2021 UNLESS THE CITY COMMISSION TAKES ACTION TO REVISE THIS ORDINANCE; AUTHORIZING THE MAYOR TO ORDER THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE AMENDED RATE SCHEDULE WITHIN AND WITHOUT THE CITY; DECLARING A PUBLIC PURPOSE; PROVIDING A REPEALER; PROVIDING FOR SEVERABILITY; AND SETTING AN EFFECTIVE DATE

WHEREAS, the Board of Commissioners of the City of Alamo, Texas, deems it in the best interest of the City to increase the sewer rates inside and outside the City limits to maintain the financial integrity of the City of Alamo, Texas, water and sewer system;

NOW THEREFORE BE IT ORDAINED BY THE BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS OF THE CITY OF ALAMO, TEXAS THAT:

Section I. That the Code of Ordinances of the City of Alamo, Title 8-Public Utilities, Chapter 5-Utility and Sanitation Rates and Charges, Section 8-5-2-Sewer Rates and Charges, Subsections A and B are amended so that such Subsection shall read as follows:

A. Sewer User Rates: For each defined Customer Class, monthly sewer rates and charges shall be based on metered water consumption as described on the following tables scheduled for annual adjustments beginning on March 1, 2017 and every year that follows up through March 2021.

Lead and Copper Rule Inventory List

The Lead and Copper Rule (LCR) protects public health by minimizing lead and copper levels in drinking water, primarily by reducing corrosion of plumbing materials. This rule applies to all community water systems (CWSs) and non-transient non-community water systems (NTNCs).