Water bills to go up $18 a month
Staff writer
The average Marion household will see water bills increase $18 a month when a new water rate goes into effect in January.
Presented with three options to increase rates to pay $2.9 million the city owes on water system improvements, city council members chose Monday the option with the lowest base rate and the highest rate per 1,000 gallons.
Residents now pay a $30 base rate, which includes the first 1,000 gallons, plus $5.05 for each 1,000 gallons after that.
Effective in January, residents will pay a $39.63 base rate for the first 1,000 gallons, and $6.80 for each additional 1,000 gallons.
The average household bill now is $55.55. The average household bill is projected to be $73.63 when rates increase.
The other two options presented were a base rate of $42.50 plus $6.05 for each additional 1,000 gallons and a base rate of $40.58 and $6.55 for each additional 1,000 gallons.
City administrator Roger Holter told council members that the lower base rate with the higher rate for extra gallons would shift most of the cost on higher water users.
Council members also voted to increase the rate for water sold to county lake residents.
Lake residents do not pay a base rate to the city. Instead, the city sells water to Improvement District No. 2, which handles distribution and costs associated with distribution.
The rate the city will charge the district will increase from $4.87 per 1,000 gallons to $5.05 per 1,000 gallons.