Village Council members have agreed to give small businesses, senior citizens, and those who conserve a break on their water bills.
Under an ordinance approved Monday, the village will now charge residents and business owners a minimum of one unit of water, or $2.30, rather than a minimum of five units of water, or $11.50, per month. Each unit is equal to 750 gallons.
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The former system forced residents who used less than five units to pay for it anyway, said commissioners. Of the 14,000 water accounts in the village, about 1,000 use less than five units during the two-month billing period, said Village Manager Kurt Bressner. Those accounts are split between smaller businesses, which don’t need much water, senior citizens on fixed incomes and water-conscious consumers, he said.
The village will lose between $15,000 and $25,000 annually, but officials said they are willing to pay that price for some goodwill, said Mayor Betty Cheever.