Water rates to rise in Chicago suburb

Water rates to rise in Elmhurst

Residents of Elmhurst will see an increase in water and sewer rates after the City Council voted unanimously Monday night in favor of a 28 percent hike.

ELMHURST, Ill. - Residents of Elmhurst will see an increase in water and sewer rates after the City Council voted unanimously Monday night in favor of a 28 percent hike.

The decision aims to fund $5 million worth of annual water and sewer main replacements, alongside necessary infrastructure updates to comply with new federal mandates.

"For the last three years, we've done close to zero water main replacement, which is just unacceptable," said Alderman Michael Bram. "We as a town cannot continue that trend."

Mayor Scott Levin acknowledged the difficulty of the decision, stating, "It's painful, but I do agree that we reached the right painful decision."

The new rates are slated to take effect next month, coinciding with the introduction of a discount program for low-income senior citizens.