To pay for improvement projects, City of Bloomington Utilities wants to increase its water rates.
It hired Crowe, a consulting firm, to evaluate the utility’s budget and revenue. Jennifer Wilson, a managing director for Crowe, presented her company’s report to the Utilities Service Board Monday. She said to afford improvements the utility needs to increase its overall revenue.
The average resident uses 3,000 to 5,000 gallons of water a month, according to Daniel Frank, the city utilities communications manager. A four-person household’s water bill is about $171 a month.
Right now, the fixed cost for 1,000 gallons of water is $4.38. The charge for water service is $7.93 per month.
Wilson said the city should increase that to $5.31 per 1,000 gallons and $9.58 for service. Under the new rates, a four-person household's bill would be approximately $182.
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City of Bloomington utilities director Katherine Zaiger said the Monroe Water Treatment Plant’s infrastructure is aging, and rate increases will be necessary to provide reliable service in the future. Not only that, she said, but “operating costs have simply gone up, and we need to keep up with that.”
City of Bloomington Utilities will hold a public information session on Friday about the water rate increase. The proposed rate increase will go to city council Sept. 30 for a first reading, and a possible vote in October. If approved, new rates could go into effect by mid to late 2026.
