Water rates could change for some rural Langley water customers after tonight.

This week, city staff completed an analysis to determine whether a 50-percent surcharge for out-of-city water customers is justified.

On Monday, city Public Works Director Rick Hill said staff was still working on a recommendation to present to Langley City Council at the meeting tonight. In the analysis, staff must examine what impacts their recommendations could have on the city’s operations and maintenance expenses, and what effect a rate change could mean for the city’s planned improvements to the water system.

“We are trying to come up with a recommendation for them to consider,” Hill said.

At a meeting in April, Mayor Neil Colburn said he would like to see the surcharge removed if it could not be justified. Approximately 110 homes are outside Langley water customers, and pay for 1.5 times the amount for water than in-city residents do.

The water surcharge was expected to generate around $20,000 this year, slightly less than 10 percent of the city’s anticipated water revenue. If outside water customers see a rate reduction or the elimination of the surcharge, a rate increase for all city water customers may become necessary.

Lowering the out-of-city rate to 110 percent of the in-city rate is one possibility city staff and the city council have considered. Because city residents are charged a 6-percent utility tax that outside customers do not, 110-percent could be a way to justify customers pay for their fair share of services and benefits from receiving city water, according to city staff.

After more discussion of the topic at tonight’s meeting, Hill said it will be under the discretion of the city council whether to take a staff recommendation. The council could accept or decline the recommendation or request to see additional changes because the topic is fairly new to the city.

“We hadn’t come up with a recommendation until this point,” Hill said.