Dallas, River Authority at Odds over Water Bill

DALLAS (AP/Staff) � The city of Dallas and a North Texas river authority are at odds over the price of lake water after six years of failed negotiations, and an East Texas lake is in the picture. The Dallas Morning News reports Dallas has asked the Texas Public Utility Commission to block the rate set by the state-created Sabine River Authority. The river authority decided to charge Dallas $24.1 million a year for water after negotiations failed. The city this year started drawing from Lake Fork, which provides about 13 percent of water coming out of Dallas faucets. Dallas officials say the price could be passed on to consumers, which would add about $4 a month to the average residential water bill. The commission has scheduled a hearing for Jan. 6 and will determine if it has jurisdiction in the dispute.