Water rates to rise by 52%

By Harold Gwin

Youngstown officials cite capital projects and rising bulk water rates as reasons.

YOUNGSTOWN — City water rates will rise more than 50 percent over the next five years.

The rates are going up 8.75 percent effective Feb. 1 and will increase by the same percentage again on Jan. 1 of each of the four following years.

The net result will be customers will be paying about 52 percent more than they pay now for water service.

The increase, which will produce about $1.6 million in new revenue annually, was announced Thursday by the city water department and Mayor Jay Williams.

The average city customer uses about 4,500 gallons of water per month, and the average bill, now at $22.23 per month, will increase by $1.95 to $24.18 as of Feb. 1. That goes to $26.29 as of Jan. 1, 2011; $28.59 on Jan. 1, 2012; $31.09 on Jan. 1, 2013; and $33.81 on Jan. 1, 2014.

The new rates will apply to both residential and commercial customers.

For customers in Austintown and Boardman, the increase translates into about $2.72 per month on Feb. 1.

David Bozanich, city director of finance, said other areas outside Youngstown that buy bulk water from the city can expect to see their costs increase as their current contracts expire, and new ones are negotiated.

The city said the increase is largely due to a capital improvement program planned for the water division and projected increased rates on bulk water the city purchases from the Mahoning Valley Sanitary District.

Youngstown buys its potable water from the sanitary district and sells it to consumers, and the sanitary district is contemplating some capital improvements of its own.

The new sanitary district rates aren’t finalized yet but are expected to go up between 4 and 21 percent on July 1, 2010; 8 and 10 percent on July 1, 2011; and 6 and 8 percent on July 1, 2012, Bozanich said.

The decision to increase municipal rates was based on the city’s costs to purchase treated water, the need to continue to improve services and the need to maintain existing investments and infrastructure, the city said in a prepared statement.

The city’s capital improvement plan includes various waterline replacement projects, a water-tank replacement, new meters, major valve replacements and more totaling more than $33 million.

gwin@vindy.com