The board of the Central Utah Water Conservancy on Wednesday, as expected, approved a tax increase that will up the water bill of an average residence ($201,000) by $7.08 per year.

Meanwhile, the Jordan Valley Water Conservancy District has proposed a tax increase that would add $3.18 to the tab of an average home ($193,000).

Looming capital projects are the source of both tax increases.

Over the next decade, the Central Utah district must come up with $241 million for a variety of projects, including $150 million for the Utah Lake System, the final piece the Central Utah Project. Under the Utah Lake System, an additional 30,000 acre feet of water will be delivered annually to southern Utah County and Jordan Valley customers in Salt Lake County.

"We can't meet those project goals without this new revenue," Central Utah spokeswoman Chris Finlinson said. "We hope to begin the design phase on the [Utah Lake System] within the next year, and to do that we have to have the local [revenue] share in the bank."

Jordan Valley's proposed tax hike is for funding a similar 10-year capital improvements plan.

"Over the next 10 years we'll need an estimated $215 million," said General Manager David Ovard. "In order to continue to bond for these projects and keep our debt service coverage in line, we're going to have to take the tax rate back up to the maximum, but it's fairly limited."

With the approved tax change, the annual water bill of the average Central Utah district residence will rise to $44.22. The average business's bill will increase to $80.40 a year, a hike of $12.86.

If approved in the Jordan Valley district, the average home's water bill would increase to $42.46 a year; the average business's tab would be $77.20, a hike of $5.79.

jbaird@sltrib.com