HOPE – A proposed increase in water and sewage rates may be proposed to the Hope Town Council as early as next month.
The hike will be considered because Eastern Bartholomew County Water Corp., which supplies the community of 2,100 residents, plans to increase their costs by 7%, Hope Town Manager Jason Eckart said.
“We need to have a rate study done to see if we are charging enough for water and sewer,” Eckart said.
This will be the first rate study commissioned by the council since 2011. It will be handled by the firm O.W. Krohn and Associates of Westfield. Otto W. “Buzz” Krohn has worked with the town on utility billing issues, and may present the study to the council as early as the February meeting, Eckart said.
Many Hope residents recall when the council voted for a temporary water and sewage rate hike in September 2015, which raised the average bill from $28.13 to $45 a month. The increase went into effect the following year, with an additional temporary increase of about $5 a month in 2019.
These funds helped finance a $3 million upgrade that resulted in 25% of the town’s water distribution system being replaced. About 14,000 feet of antiquated water mains were replaced. Crews also put down a new blacktop on streets damaged by utility work.
For more on this story, see Friday’s Republic.
