Huntsville residents may have to pay more for their water rates in the near future. This comes after Huntsville Utilities (HU) presented a request to the city council back in August to raise the rate.
If the city council approves the 35% increase, it’ll be the first time since 2016 that water rates trended upward for the utility’s customers.Should I kill spiders in my home? Entomologist explains
HU explained the increase was necessary due to inflation along with the rising cost of labor and materials.
Money from the possible rate hike would also contribute to a 20-year master water plan that would address water system upgrades and system rehabilitation services. The average household would see an estimated $6.40 added to their monthly bill.
Some in the Rocket City like Ashley Tanner disagree with the possible move citing the rising prices of living across the board.
“I think it’s too high as is if you factor in the cost of gas the cost of food the cost of living period it’s just too much, so they definitely don’t need to add anything else to the utility bills there excessive as is,” Tanner told News 19.
Others like Emily Fragala aren’t thrilled about the potential water rate hike but believe the move by the utility company could save her from water troubles down the road.MISSING: Florence PD searching for teen
“Although I’m not happy with the possibility of our water bills each month going up,” said Fragala. “I do think that it is a good thing that Huntsville Utilities is kind of taking the preventive measures to make sure that our water supply just keeps up with the population growth and that everything just keeps running smoothly.”
Here’s an in-depth breakdown of what the potential rate increases could look like for different households.
The Huntsville City Council will have to vote on the increase request soon, which could be in September. For the water hike to pass, it will require a majority vote among the 5 council members.
Source : News19
