Elmhurst Water Bills On High Side, Yet Hikes On Table

ELMHURST, IL — Elmhurst's water and sewer rates are on the high side compared to other suburbs. Yet city consultants are recommending big rate hikes.

In a study unveiled this week, Baxter & Woodman Consulting Engineers recommended the city hike water and sewer bills by 50 percent over the next decade. It gives alternatives on how to spread out the increases. In one of them, it suggests raising bills by 12 percent within the next year.

According to the consultants, the average Elmhurst household uses about 9,000 gallons of water every two months. For that amount, the bill is $194 currently. But under their proposal, it would rise to about $290 by 2030.

This would likely be well above cost of living increases over the next decade. Over the last 10 years, the inflation rate averaged 1.7 percent. Using that number for Elmhurst's bimonthly, average water bill, it would increase to $228 by 2030, about $60 short of what Baxter & Woodman is recommending.

Already, Elmhurst residents are paying more for water and sewer than most comparable suburbs, according to Baxter & Woodman's analysis. Of 20 suburbs surveyed, Elmhurst households paid the fourth most. Those paying more are Clarendon Hills, Wheaton and Itasca.

At $100 every two months, Lisle households pay the least of those surveyed. Bloomingdale and Carol Stream are almost as low.

Many of the towns come in around $150 — Bartlett, Westmont, Addison, Naperville, Downers Grove, Lombard, Darien and Glen Ellyn. Villa Park is about $170, while Bensenville is a hair under Elmhurst.

In 10 years, Elmhurst would be the highest among the surveyed suburbs if the city follows the recommendations, Baxter & Woodman said.

"However, as communities continue to identify and address their aging infrastructure and unique needs, it is anticipated that most communities will continue to assess rate increases over the next 10 years," the consultants wrote.

Absent the recommended rate increases, the city's water and sewer accounts would go into the red, the consultants said.

They presented their recommendations at this week's meeting of the City Council's Finance Committee. No decisions have been made.