Burr Ridge residents will soon be paying nearly 12 percent more for water.
The increase is linked to Chicago’s four-year escalation in rates for Lake Michigan water, village officials said. Chicago has raised its rates for Lake Michigan water 60 percent over the past four years.
While this is supposed to be the last substantial increase from Chicago, Village Trustee Guy Franzese said he would not be surprised to see double-digit rate hikes continue.
“It’s problematic. Chicago has to balance its budget,” Franzese said. “I doubt this is the end of it. I expect the increases to continue. This is a cash cow for them.”
Village Administrator Steve Stricker said he is hopeful the village is done with large rate increases from Chicago. The city’s rate hikes going forward are only supposed to be cost-of-living increases, Stricker said, but with Chicago’s financial problems nothing is untouchable.
“They are in dire straits and they do see this as a cash cow,” Stricker said. “But there is only so much they can expect from us.”
Burr Ridge purchases Lake Michigan water from Bedford Park, which buys it from Chicago. An increase in Chicago’s rate affects Bedford Park, and in turn, Bedford Park passes that increase on to Burr Ridge, said Public Works Director Paul May.
The village’s water rates will all increase 68 cents per 1,000 gallons used. The rates will be (per 1,000 gallons of water used):
* Residential Tier 1 (up to 70,000 gallons used): $5.75 to $6.43.
* Residential Tier 2 (70,000-90,000 gallons used): $9.08 to $9.76.
* Residential Tier 3 (more than 90,000 gallons used): $11.50 to $12.18
* Nonresidential: $8.48 to $9.16.
Village Board members approved the rate increases in a 5-0 vote Monday night. Trustee John Manieri was not present. Final approval is expected at the Feb. 23 meeting.
Chicago’s rate-escalation program increased its water rate 25 percent in 2012 and followed that with 15 percent increases in 2013, 2014 and 2015.
May said even though the Bedford Park fee increase is 15 percent ($4.52 to $5.20), the village is only passing on the 68-cent increase in the Bedford Park rate to Burr Ridge residents, which equates to 11.8 percent.
The difference between the Bedford Park rate and the village’s Residential Tier 1 rate is for equipment and other expenses the village has in bringing the water from Bedford Park to residents’ homes, May said.
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In 1998, the village was still on a well system, but was having water quality and quantity issues in the late ’90s, according to May.
“The decision was made at that time to move to Lake Michigan water,” May said.
He noted that using 2013 data and the figure of 10,000 gallons of water used, Burr Ridge is still well below the area average for water costs. He said Burr Ridge’s average water bill of $50.34 is more than $18 under the area average of $68.55. In the data May provided, only Lisle and Shorewood had lower average water bills.
Kevin Beese is a freelance reporter for Pioneer Press.