Mount Prospect approves 9.5 percent water rate hike, future increases

When Mount Prospect residents see their larger water bills in May, they can thank the city of Chicago, village officials said this week.

The village board Tuesday adopted a 9.5 percent increase in the combined water and sewer rate, a move they say comes in response to a hike in fees Chicago charges municipalities it supplies with Lake Michigan water.

In voting for the increase, Trustee Paul Hoefert summed up the thoughts of his colleagues who passed the increase unanimously.

“This isn’t done willy-nilly,” Hoefert said, “But it is something we have to do to keep the water flowing.”

“This is a reluctant aye, because we’re over the proverbial barrel,” he added.

The increase for next year is lower than the 13.2 percent that had been previously discussed. Rates will then go up 9.5 percent again in 2014, 9 percent in 2015 and 5 percent in 2016.

As a result of the 9.5 increase, residents will pay $7.69 per 1,000 gallons, up from the current $7.02 per 1,000 gallons. For a household that uses 15,000 gallons of water over a two-month period, the bimonthly water and sewer fee will be $125.35, a $10.05 hike.

Officials said the large hikes are needed because Chicago, which supplies Lake Michigan water to Mount Prospect, raised its water rates by 25 percent and plans to increase that by 15 percent each of the following three years.

For sewer users not connected to the village’s water system, the monthly charge per dwelling unit will not change from the current rate of $4.58.