May 20—People receiving water or sewer service from the city of Aiken could soon see their bills increase.

The Aiken City Council is expected to consider the second and final reading of ordinance increasing the city's water and sewer rates by 7% for the 2023-2024 fiscal year at their 7 p.m. meeting Monday evening.

Rates for residential customers in the city who use 800 cubic feet of sewer would increase $2.27 per month ($38.20 to $40.47), City Manager Stuart Bedenbaugh said information provided to the city council. He added residential customers in the city who use 400 cubic feet would increase by $1.14 per month and residential customers in the city who use 200 cubic feet per month would increase by 70 cents per month.

Bedenbaugh said a residential customer in the city who uses 800 cubic feet of water would see their bill increase by $1.11 per month ($19.28 to $20.39) with residential customers using 400 cubic feet would see their bills increase by 51 cents per month and 200 cubic feet users' bills increasing by 33 cents per month.

He said the total increase for the average residential user using 800 cubic feet of sewer and 800 cubic feet of water would see their bills increase by $3.38 per month with 400 cubic feet users seeing a total increase of $1.65 per month and 200 cubic feet users seeing a total increase of $1.03 per month.

The additional funding provided by the increases will be used for construction of the city's new water treatment plant and system maintenance.

The rate increases would be effective July 1.

Also on the agenda are the second readings of ordinances:

—Changing the zoning of a property located at the intersection of Sundy Avenue and Jake Place to Planned Residential and approving a concept plan for an apartment complex; and

—Amending the city's budget to include funding for an underground utilities project.

Scheduled for first reading are ordinances establishing the Silver Bluff Overlay District and annexing and zoning a single-family home on Derby Lane.

William Molnar, executive director of the Lower Savannah Council of Governments, will present information on the Lower Savannah council's activities and programs.

The city council will also meet at 5:30 p.m. for a worksession to discuss homeless housing with George Clare of Aiken County Homeless Housing and for an executive session to discuss the city's information technology security system.