Fox River Grove raises water usage rates 3%, joining other towns increasing utility costs

Fox River Grove has approved a 3% increase in usage rates for water and sewer but will keep base rates steady.

The Village Board OK’d the increase unanimously at a meeting last week. The new rates account for inflation and rising expenses of the village’s water and sewer fund, Fox River Grove Village Administrator Derek Soderholm said.

The increase goes into effect May 1, so residents will see the changes on their July bill, Soderholm said. Currently, the base rate for combined water and sewer is $71.19, with an additional $4.89 fee per 1,000 gallons for water and $5.68 per 1,000 gallons for sewer.

The average water and sewer bill will increase by about $2.88 every two months, which equates to an overall 1.73% increase, Soderholm said. The average resident uses about 9,000 gallons every two months, he said.

For this year’s budget, the total projected revenue in the Water/Sewer Fund, for both operating and capital expenses is $2.5 million. Of that, $47,704 is attributed to the new rate increase, Soderholm said.

Included in the expenses are long-term financial projects such as lead pipe replacements, which became a state requirement after a bill was signed into law in 2021. The village has 488 lead service lines out of a total of 1,609, with another 35 galvanized lines that also need replacement, according to village documents.

“We did not adjust rates specifically for that. It’s an adjustment to our overall operating capital needs,” Soderholm said.

Woodstock recently raised its base and usage rates by 5% each.