MOUNT VERNON – The city of Mount Vernon announced that it has raised its water rate by 5% effective Wednesday, March 1.
The rate hike will be seen in the water bill customers receive in April, according to a news release from the city. The last rate increase was made in 2017.
A minimum-user household uses approximately 3,000 gallons of water per month and will see the water bill increase from $23.76 to $24.95. The release said a household using this amount of water works out to about two showers and ten toilet flushes per day, plus running the dishwasher and doing laundry four times each week for the month.
The Mount Vernon Utilities Commission voted for the rate increase on Dec. 7, 2022, settling on a 5% hike following multiple discussions at previous meetings.
When the city raised water rates in 201,7, the annual inflation rate was 2.1%. In 2022 it was 6.5%. The city release cited the rising cost of supplies as a reason for the increase. Lime cost $136.50 per ton in 2017. Since then, its cost has spiked by 73% to $236.08 per ton.
Keeping water rates at the 2017 level would not cover today’s supply costs or adequately fund the water utility, according to the release.
Other rate hikes
The city also raised its water and wastewater tap fees for the first time in five years, effective Saturday, Feb. 18, according to a press release from the city. These fees affect only those residents and businesses tapping into the water and wastewater systems for the first time, not existing customers.
The water tap capacity fee changed from $550 to $3,000 on Feb. 18 for a standard 5/8-inch meter. In addition, the wastewater capacity fee will increase from $825 to $2,000 for a standard 5/8-inch meter.
The city’s utilities commission voted for the fee increases after reviewing recommendations from the city’s consultant, Mark Ruffner of K.E. McCartney & Associates, Inc., Mansfield, as well as fee and cost reviews conducted internally by consultant Emily Platt and city utilities staff. Utilities Commission members are Safety-Service Director Richard Dzik; Public Utilities Director Aaron Reinhart; engineer Brian Ball, PE; city council member Tammy Woods and commission members Jessi Busenburg and Mike Miller.
The Utilities Commission consists of Safety-Service Director Rick Dzik; Public Utilities Director Aaron Reinhart; Engineer Brian Ball, PE; City Councilmember Tammy Woods, and commission members Jessi Busenburg and Mike Miller.
