Water and sewer rates won't increase next year, the Cape Fear Public Utility Authority announced Wednesday.

CFPUA's board approved a $76.1 million budget plan for the 2015-16 fiscal year in which the residential uniform rate for water will remain at $3.67 per 1,000 gallons and the sewer usage rate will remain at $4.56 per 1,000 gallons, a news release said.  

The announcement said also said CFPUA’s fixed charges will remain the same at $25.81 per bimonthly bill for water and $29.10 per bimonthly bill for sewer. That means an average residential bill stays at $69.49 a month, according to CFPUA. Passage of the budget followed several presentations at CFPUA board meetings and a public hearing in May.
 
“CFPUA is charged with the difficult proposition of improving water and sewer services while maintaining the lowest possible cost,” said Pat Kusek, CFPUA board chairwoman, in the release. Kusek said this year's budget shows "just how well the people of the authority are performing their duties with the customer in mind.”

CFPUA’s rates recently received high marks from the Environmental Finance Center of UNC's School of Government in its annual study of North Carolina water and wastewater rates. More than 500 of the state's utilities took part in the study. The study places CFPUA in its green, or “optimal,” zones in almost every rate-based and financial category. Among the underlying reasons for CFPUA’s ratings are its operating budget and its consumption and other budget targets, which are being met thanks to improvements in economic growth, the release said. 
           
"The UNC study again shows that CFPUA is properly balancing our rates with the need to appropriately operate and maintain the water and sewer systems,” said Jim Flechtner, CFPUA executive director. “We are where we should be, and need to be, in setting fair rates and responsible budgets.”