Elk Grove Village approves raising water, sewer rates

Elk Grove Village residents will be paying higher fees for water and sewer services starting Aug. 1.

The village board Tuesday night approved a 17 percent increase to the village's combined water and sewer rate for the 2013 fiscal year. The rate increase for the following three years will be 12 percent, 13 percent, and 12 percent, respectively. The higher fees are applicable to residents' water usage starting with the July billing cycle.

Elk Grove Village's current water rate is $5.50 per 1,000 gallons. The village's combined water and sewer rate is $7.25 per 1,000 gallons.

The move comes in response to Chicago's 25 percent water rate hike implemented this year, and planned 15 percent increase in each of the following three years, which will be passed on to Elk Grove Village residents, Mayor Craig Johnson said.

Chicago already raised its water rate by 14 percent in 2010, and 15 percent in each of the previous two years.

Johnson said neighboring suburbs, such as Des Plaines, Mount Prospect and Schaumburg, already have increased their rates, while many other towns are considering rate increases.

“We get our water from Lake Michigan, as do many communities out here,” Johnson said.

Elk Grove Village is part of a consortium of seven towns — including Schaumburg, Streamwood, Hoffman Estates, Mount Prospect, Rolling Meadows, and Hanover Park — that purchase water from Chicago through the North Suburban Municipal Joint Action Water Agency. JAWA is exploring other sources for getting water and has entered into a study with Evanston. However, nothing can be done until existing agreements expire, Johnson said.

“We've done this for 30 years now and still have 11 years left on our contract,” Johnson said.

Elk Grove Village's water agreement with Chicago expires in 2023. Such 40-year contracts were unprecedented at the time, Johnson said.

“We are required by contract to buy a minimum amount of water from Chicago every year,” Johnson said. “We are getting close to those guaranteed minimums.”

Johnson said though the village has wells, they cannot supplement the water it buys from Chicago.

Nor can the village continue absorbing the increased cost of providing those services with village funds, he added.

“We've held off as long as we could passing on that increase,” Johnson said. “We are to the point now where we've got to pay for that water.”

The average consumer uses between 4,000 gallons and 5,000 gallons of water a month, according to village officials.

Johnson urged residents to conserve as much water as possible.

“You only pay for what you use,” Johnson said. “Start watching your water (use) right now. Let's give it to Chicago a bit by not using as much water. They are using the suburbs to pay for their infrastructure. We're not happy with it ... but we have no choice.”

Letters explaining the rate increase will go out with residents' Aug. 1 water bills.