More Water Rate Hikes In Burr Ridge?

BURR RIDGE, IL — Some Burr Ridge officials have raised the possibility of increases in water rates beyond those that already have occurred the last few years. The water account is projected to show a shortfall starting next fiscal year, according to the village.

"It looks like our water fund has some real problems going on," Village Trustee Zach Mottl said at this week's Village Board meeting. "We just raised the rates significantly. We were told it was going to solve the problem and put us on a good financial track for the future, but here we are a year later and it's not. In fact, it looks like we're discussing significant rate increases."

Mottl was referring to the minutes for the the village's last two water committee meetings, in which the public works director, David Preissig, noted the coming deficit. He said water sales dropped sharply last summer because it was an unusually wet, reducing the need for sprinkling lawns.

Village Administrator Doug Pollock said the village had several options to address the shortfall, including postponing the Carriage Way project or raising water rates. The Carriage Way work had been expected to cost $1.5 million, but now is projected at $2.6 million.

In 2018, the village approved a series of rate increases — 10 percent the first year and 8 percent in later years, officials said.

At the committee's March meeting, Preissig suggested postponing the Carriage Way project for one year and doing a village-wide water system study, costing $105,000. Such a examination, he said, would give the village a better idea of the cost of maintaining the overall system.

The committee decided against rate increases beyond what the village approved in 2018. It recommended delaying the Carriage Way project and doing the water system study.