Increases Set For Water Rates

By Dirk Langeveld

New London City Council unanimously agreed to approve increases to the water rates on Monday.

Councilors accepted the item in a roll call vote. The action amends cost tables for areas such as metered water, sewer connections, and private fire services for New London. The increase will boost the water rates in Waterford, which gets its water from New London. The rate increases are retroactive to July 1, when the issue was first presented to the Council.

The charge for every 1,000 cubic feet of metered water within city limits during a three-month period will go from $19.48 to $20.45, an increase of about 4.7 percent. The same service for connections outside New London will go from $19.61 to $20.59, or about 4.8 percent.

The sewer charge for New London customers will go from $31.25 per 1,000 gallons to $33.44, an increase of about 6.5 percent. That hike will not affect Waterford, however, which only pays for water service from New London.

Joe Lanzafame, director of the Department of Public Utilities, previously said the increases would amount to an additional $30 in costs to the average household. Barry Weiner, chairman of the Water and Water Pollution Control Authority, previously said there have been attempts to keep costs down elsewhere and that New London water and sewer rates remain among the lowest in the state.

Last year, rates increased for the first time in several years. The metered water charges increased from $17.71 to $19.48 for residents and from $17.83 to $19.61 for metered connections outside the city limits. Sewer charges increased from $25 to $31.25.