Columbus City Utilities plan to seek a water rate increase to fund operations, maintenance, upgrading of aging infrastructure and for capital project needs.
Utilities Executive Director Scott Dompke said Thursday the city water department is facing significant challenges with a need to replace outdated water mains, constructing new wells and other infrastructure needs.
Exact figures as to the potential monthly increase in water charges for the average city customer will not be available until the utilities department presents its case at a special city council meeting on July 9, he said.
According to a comparative study by the Accelerate Indiana Municipalities, the average monthly rate for 4,000 gallons of water from a utility in Indiana is $28.89, whereas the current monthly rate for Columbus customers is $9.82.
Because there is a tiered rate structure for different levels of water usage, not every customer will see the same level increase across the board, he said.
Without a water rate increase, the city will likely face more problems with its water infrastructure, Dompke told city utilities board members on Thursday at a meeting at Columbus City Hall.
For more on this story, see Friday’s Republic.
