Plainfield residents will see their utility bills increase by an average of $5 a month starting in February as a result of rising costs for water and wastewater.

At the Dec. 15 Plainfield Village Board meeting, trustees unanimously approved an ordinance increasing water and sewer fees. Beginning Feb. 1, the average utility bill will increase from $124.20 to $129.20 a month.

This is the first increase since Feb. 1, 2021.

The increases are coming at a time when the village has seen its wholesale costs to purchase Lake Michigan water go up by almost 20% since 2021.

“And our costs to dispose of wastewater treatment byproducts have also increased annually,” Plainfield Public Works Director Scott Threewitt said in talking about the need for the increase. “These increases have been absorbed by the village and not passed along to our residents. As a result, our overall operating income to fund water and sewer operations has decreased, with expenses expected to exceed revenues in upcoming years.”

On average, a Plainfield resident uses about 1,000 cubic feet of water per month, Threewitt said, resulting in a utility bill of $124.20 for water/sewer charges (or $26.43 for a minimum bill).

Threewitt said that is well below the current regional monthly average of $150.61.

Additional rate adjustments are proposed annually beginning Sept. 1, 2026. That includes:

• Water usage rate – Future increases will be limited to the increase from Illinois American Water’s wholesale volume charge. If any annual increase from Illinois American Water is greater than 5%, then Village Board approval will be required to implement that annual rate.

• Sewer service – There will be a 2% annual increase, consistent with expected increases in operational costs.

• Capital improvement charge – The monthly charge will increase by 50 cents up to a maximum charge of $10 per month.

Seniors can apply a 10% discount to the total monthly charges. Threewitt said it’s expected that an average resident’s utility bill in 2030 still will be below the existing monthly regional average of $150.61.

“The value we provide our residents will be even greater when compared to how surrounding communities implement future rate increases,” he said. “The village has positioned itself well with our existing contract with Illinois American Water and will continue to review our water and sewer operations to increase efficiency.”