FOX5 Vegas - KVVUNevada pipeline will cost more money: report

Nevada pipeline will cost more money: report

The Southern Nevada Water Authority's project to build a pipeline for rural communities in Nevada will cost more than first estimated and customers will expect a rate increase that could last generations, according to a report released Monday.

The analysis by Las Vegas-based Hobbs, Ong & Associates said the cost of the project will triple average monthly water costs for residents in Las Vegas to more than $90 a month. Currently, the average bill for residents, according to SNWA, is about $36.

LINK: Full pipeline project report

Las Vegas businesses could get a bigger hit, according to the analysis. Monthly water bills could jump from $299 to about $747.

The analysis also showed how much the rural pipeline project will actually costs, which is now estimated at nearly $15.5 billion. The SNWA has variously reported publicly that the cost for the project, which initially would include more than 300 miles of pipelines and dozens of well sites over East-Central Nevada, at $2 billion to $3.6 billion.

Copyright FOX5 2011. All rights reserved.