'Painful' Elmhurst Water Rate Hike Passes Unanimously

ELMHURST, IL – Elmhurst aldermen unanimously voted Monday for a 28 percent increase in water and sewer rates.

"This was a very difficult task," Mayor Scott Levin said after the vote. "It's painful, but I do agree that we reached the right painful decision."

The rates are expected to take effect next month, along with a discount for low-income senior citizens.

Officials cited several reasons for the hike – inflation, federal mandates such as phosphorous removal from water, and a new policy calling for spending $5 million a year on water and sewer main replacements.

During a discussion, Alderman Michael Bram said he walked into City Hall not knowing how he would vote on the increase. But he concluded the city's water and sewer infrastructure needed to be taken care of.

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

Levin said the city replaced no mains in 2022 because supply chain issues prevented it from getting materials. And in 2023, he said, Elmhurst only did a third of its usual work because of concerns over costs.

He said Elmhurst is not alone with its rate increases.

"Other mayors assured me that if they haven't increased theirs already, they will be," the mayor said. "We might be ahead of the curve. Particularly, the phosphorous issue is one that is weighing heavily on a lot of municipalities."

Alderwoman Noel Talluto said Elmhurst's costs would only rise if aldermen kicked the can down the road. She heads the council's committee that recommended the rate increase.

She said her panel would next look at new water rates that encouraged conservation and a possible fee to pay for solving the phosphorous issue.

The council voted 12-0 for the increase. Aldermen Emily Bastedo and Brian Cahill were absent.

The city has a frequently-asked-questions section on its website about the rate increase.