City Council to consider water rate increases tonight

Columbus City Council will be considering a rate hike for the city drinking water system, and a $24.4 million dollar waterworks bond issue for Columbus City Utilities to make improvements to the system.

If approved, this would be the first drinking water rake hike since 1992. It would reduce the number of tiers of water customers from the current five, to three tiers. Customers currently pay $1.66 per 1,000 gallons for the first 10,000 gallons of water. The next tiers currently are at 40,000 gallons, 250 thousand, 700 thousand and a million gallons of water a month.

The new rates would phase in over three years, with the lowest end paying $2.54 per 1,000 gallons starting August of 2021, $2.97 in August of 2023 and $3.16 in 2024. The three new tiers would be less than 15,000 gallons a month, 285,000 gallons a month and 300,000 gallons a month.

Prices would also increase for the monthly meter charge depending on the size of the meter, private hydrants, fire protection and automatic sprinkler systems. The changes would also include a system development charge billed to customers connecting to the water system.

Utilities officials say that the average home using 4,000 gallons a month of water would see the water portion of the bill increase from $9.82 a month to $17.97 a month after all the increases are phased in.

The council will meet at 6 p.m. tonight at Columbus City Hall.