TYLER, Texas — A local brewery is bracing for a potential hike in its water bill as the city of Tyler is considering a change to its water rate plan.
Annie Gilstrap, co-owner of ETX Brewing Co., said they want to make sure the price for your favorite beer is always right. She leads the brewery alongside her husband Brian and his brother Matt.
Annie said they heard of the city's proposal and began discussing the effects this could bring.
"We don't know what the impact looks like until the first bill hits us," Gilstrap said.
ETX Brewing Co. has been keeping the food and drinks flowing for more than five years. Since opening, they've been hit with two punches: the COVID-19 pandemic and inflation. Now, they might have a heftier water bill.
A proposal in the city budget would change the way water bills are calculated.
"For every gallon you use then you're paying what that cost is to produce that gallon of water," said Ed Broussard, City of Tyler manager.
The current billing method subsidizes the first 2,000 gallons of each customer's bill.
This change could be costly for businesses that rely on H2O.
ETX Brewing Co. uses hundreds of gallons of water to make the perfect batch of brew.
"Just per batch that we brew, we brew 500 gallons at a time," Gilstrap said.
To make it, that means using 500 to 700 gallons of water. According to Gilstrap, they brew a new batch two to three times a week.
If the proposal is approved, she said they're going to try to keep the price the same.
"We've been very firm on not changing our prices," Gilstrap said.
The city of Tyler will hold two public hearings on the proposed budget. The first will be held Aug. 24 at 9 a.m. at Tyler City Hall.