Water, sewer rates going up next month

GAINESVILLE - Water and sewer rates are going up for City of Gainesville customers next month but not as much as projected.

Public Works Director Kelly Randall told City Council in June the increases support water-sewer operations and the city's five-year utilities capital improvement plan, which is $100 million less than projected.

"The water rate increase that we're talking about is 4 percent, sanitary sewer is 4 and a quarter," Randall said at the time.

Randall said last year the water rate increase was projected at six-and-a-half percent, with a sewer rate at six percent, adding that 'belt tightening' and lower loan interest rates helped keep the rates down.

"We've cut our capital plan considerably," Randall told the council in June. "Historically it's been in the $200 million range over five years and we've dropped it to $102 million and those capital improvement plan projects are just what we absolutely feel we need to do."