City Raises Water and Sewer Rates

Crystal Lake residents will now see an increase in their water and sewer rates. Effective June 1, those rates increased by $2.47 a month, bringing the monthly bill for existing users to $39.61.

Bills reflecting the increase are expected to be sent out to customers Aug. 1. Senior citizens are eligible for a 15 percent reduction in rates.

This latest increase is one of several that have been planned for a five-year period beginning in fiscal year 2009/2010, said Director Victor Ramirez.

The increases are necessary to help pay existing loans and leverage future funding for planned capital improvement projects detrimental to the quality of service to the community, Ramirez said. 

The city had been counting on connection fees from new homes to offset the costs associated with an IEPA revolving loan to expand a wastewater treatment plant in 2003. 

At that time, the city estimated approximately 200 news homes would be built in the city annually, not an unusual expectation considering the substantial residential growth during that time period, Ramirez said.

Things went as planned until 2007, when the residential housing development market experienced its first indication of the end of the housing boom. In fiscal year 2010/ 2011, only 21 new homes had been built in Crystal Lake. The shortfall has forced the city to make up the difference through operating funds and reserves. 

The effort did not allow for saving for the proverbial rainy day, Ramirez said. And now with much-needed infrastructure improvement projects in the works, the department is feeling the pinch. 

The increase is needed as well to maintain the existing bare-bones staffing levels in the Public Works Department. Further cuts would negatively impact service to the community for system failure restoration and the department’s snow removal capabilities. 

Ramirez pointed out that Crystal Lake’s water and sewer rates are among the lowest in McHenry County, coming in just under McHenry’s monthly rate of $40.56. From there the rates increase, topping out at $118.06/month for Sleepy Hollow.

“Were starting from a lower point, where everybody ramped up earlier on,” he said. 

The approved the increase during its' regularly scheduled meeting June 7, which also included charging a $49.15 monthly water fee during the construction of new buildings beginning July 1.