Carmel council raises water and sewer rates. What to expect on your coming bills
Water and sewer rates are rising in Carmel.
The Carmel City Council voted this week to raise water fees by 35% and the cost of sewer service by 20%.
The hike amounts to an increase from $26 a month for 4,000 gallons to $37 a month for water. For sewers, it's a flat jump from $30 a month to $36. The raises are effective in January.
Officials at a city council meeting Monday said the increase still leaves the cost of the service in the middle of the pack in Central Indiana and said it is necessary to restructure and pay off outstanding debt for the construction of a water plant in 2008.
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Council President Jeff Worrell said water rates were kept artificially low at first so users then didn’t get socked with paying most of the cost upfront and payment could be diffused until the pool of customers increased. The plant was built so one utility, rather than three at the time, served all city customers.
“The goal was to keep rates low then,” he said.
Councilor Tony Green asked if the increases could be phased in over several years but Scott Miller, a municipal advisor from Baker Tiller, said it had to be done at once for the debit restructuring in May.
The sewer fee hike is to cover the future expansion to areas along Keystone Parkway and elsewhere, Worrell said.
No residents commented during the public hearing portion of the meeting.
Call IndyStar reporter John Tuohy at 317-444-6418 or email him at john.tuohy@indystar.com. Follow him on Facebook and X/Twitter.
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Carmel water and sewer rates rising: What to expect in 2024
