Fort Wayne Seeks Rate Increase to Fix Water Infrastructure
Officials from Fort Wayne City Utilities have unveiled plans to address the city’s aging water infrastructure. The city is proposing a water rate increase that would see a typical customer’s monthly bill rise by more than $6 over the next five years.
City Utilities says revenue generated from the rate increase would support a five-year plan to replace 70 miles of water mains throughout the city. The utility averages more than 300 water main breaks each year and, so far in 2018, has seen nearly 150 main breaks. The water mains that would be replaced are located in areas that have seen more than 1,500 breaks over the past several years.
The water rate increase would first need need local approval, then would be sent to the Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission for further review. If approved, the first phase of the rate increase would take place in 2019. The utility says a typical customer using 4,000 gallons of water per month would see the following increases on their bills:
- 2019: $1.34
- 2020: $1.43
- 2021: $1.53
- 2022: $1.57
- 2023: $1.67
City utilities says it will host a series of local meetings to discuss the main replacement program between now and the end of June.