Arlington Heights to raise water-sewer rates to pay for new water mains

Arlington Heights will raise water and sewer rates an average of 5.7% per year over the next five years and borrow $8.5 million to increase the number of water main replacements and other upgrades to its water and sewer infrastructure.

The village's current combined water and sewer rate of $8.04 per 1,000 gallons is in the bottom half of Northwest suburban communities, but with the increases approved by the village board Monday night, Arlington Heights in five years will be slightly above the current average level of $10.10 per 1,000 gallons in the area.

Starting next year, bills will go up 8.5%, followed by 5% in each of the following four years.

Then in the fall, the village plans to allocate $8.5 million of a planned $14 million capital improvements bond issue to water main replacements. Property taxes won't go up, officials say, because other debt is scheduled to be retired.

They say they want to speed up the number of mains replaced every year as the number of breaks in the 260-mile system continues to be high. At the same time, materials used to install mains in the 1960s haven't lasted as long as intended.

Crews replace less than 2 miles of water main a year at a cost of $2.5 million. But the plan calls for the village to spend $4.5 million a year that would allow at least 1% of the system to be replaced annually.

Despite previous water/sewer rate increases the last five years, officials say revenues haven't kept up as planned due to decreased demand and water conservation efforts by residents. There also have been wet springs and summers, so there's been less need to water lawns.

Trustees Bert Rosenberg and Greg Padovani - the two dissenting votes in the board's 6-2 vote Monday to approve the rate increases - sought a first-year hike that was less than the 8.5% recommended by the village staff and using reserves to pay some costs.

Others said the higher increase was necessary to make all the proposed upgrades.

"I have to pay water rates like everyone else," said Trustee John Scaletta. "We were elected to make difficult choices."

While the village hasn't replaced as many water mains as planned, it's also only repaired and repainted 4 of 11 water tanks. Under the latest plan, four more tanks would be completed.

More residential water meters will also need to be replaced, officials say.

Water: Conservation efforts slowed demand, tax revenue