Water Rates to Increase as Result of Chicago Price Hike

residents will be joining a number of suburban communities getting a increase to their water bills as a result of footing nearly half the cost of Chicago's infrastructure improvements.

On Monday, the Village Board approved an increase to the amount residents will be charged for water use. Effective Feb. 1, residents will pay a minimum of $39.72 for the 6,000-gallong monthly minimum. That about a $5 monthly increase that will first be seen in your April water bill.

New Lenox gets its water from Lake Michigan, and incurs charges from Chicago as well as Oak Lawn and Tinley Park, through which the water lines pass. When the amount they charge New Lenox increases, the village in turn must decide how much to increase rates to pay off the additional operation and maintenance costs.

Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel proposed that suburbs getting Lake Michigan water should pay for 47 percent of the city's infrastructure improvements. This year, that means a 25 percent water rate hike, followed by a 15 percent increase the following three years.

That equates to about $3.87 per 1,000 gallons charged by Chicago, whereas residents currently pay $2.01 per 1,000 gallons.

As a result of Chicago's rate increases, and passed some of the cost onto New Lenox. Mayor Tim Baldermann said he and hopes it will provide a fair accounting to show that suburban customers are benefiting from the money being spent.

"The suburbs shouldn't foot the bill for improvements the city would have to pay for anyway without suburban customers," he said.

This comes during a time that New Lenox is already anticipating an increase to residents' water bills because of .

New Lenox gets its water from Oak Lawn, after it goes throuh Tinley Park, along with Mokena, Oak Forest and Orland Park. Those municipalities are negotiating a fair rate that each will pay for $100 million of improvements to Oak Lawn's delivery system. Separate from Chicago's planned rate hikes, these improvements would likely bring another increase to residents' water bills.

Because of that, Baldermann said the village is conducting a water rate study to find ways to ease the burden on residents.

Trustee Dave Smith has previously said one idea that immediately comes to mind is to get rid of the village's minimum charge for 6,000 gallons. Right now, residents are billed a base amount for 6,000 gallons and then additional charges if they use more.

"We need to get rid of the minimum," Smith said in a previous interview. "It's like paying for gas—you should pay for how much you use."