NTUA rate hike proposal draws pushback in Shiprock
SHIPROCK
The Navajo Tribal Utility Authority on June 3 brought its proposal to raise water and wastewater rates here, where residents pressed the utility to show its finances, cut its own costs and explain why customers should pay more when many families already struggle with utility bills.
The meeting at the Phil Thomas Performance Center was one of the last public information sessions NTUA held before a final hearing later this month in Window Rock. The utility is proposing its first water and wastewater rate increase since Jan. 1, 2020, with the increase phased over several years.
About 13 people attended, a turnout several speakers said showed NTUA had not done enough to reach the customers whose bills would climb. Those who did attend questioned whether the utility had been transparent and whether the increase would fall hardest on low-income families.
NTUA, a Navajo Nation-owned not-for-profit enterprise, contracted NewGen Strategies and Solutions to study its water and wastewater rates. Scenario 1 would raise water charges 12% and wastewater charges 36% each year through fiscal year 2029. Scenario 2 would raise water 15% in the first year and 10% in each of the next three years, while wastewater would rise 40%, 40%, 30% and 25%.
An NTUA handout shows a combined water-and-wastewater bill of $41.38 rising to about $90 to $95 by the end of the schedule under either option for a sample household. The increases would apply to the per-gallon charge and a fixed monthly service charge, meaning households that use little water would still see larger bills.
To read the full article, please see the June 11, 2026, edition of the Navajo Times.
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I-40, WB @ Winslow