Brighton residents face higher water bills after the its council increased the city’s water rates and added a water treatment plant fee.

The 9.11% increase, which becomes effective on July 1, effectively resets water rates to what they were in 2019, according to a news release from the city.

The city decreased rates by 8% in 2020 to spend down funding reserves, which have since been depleted. The city also noted that water rates hadn’t increased since 2017.

The city estimated that an average single-family home that uses about 4,000 gallons of water in the winter will see an increase of about $8.48 per month. In the summer, the average household that uses 14,500 gallons of water will see about a $13 increase per month. The 9.11% increase will only apply to water usage charges, a city spokesperson said, while the full utility bill includes water, wastewater and storm drainage.

The new water treatment plant fee — which will start at $6 a month — will kick in on the first day of 2023 to finance construction of a new plant, said the city which noted that its current plant is more than 25 years old. 

The city said the new plant will allow Brighton to better meet residents’ needs, doubling the capacity of the existing plant. The project is expected to break ground in July and is intended to get completed in the summer of 2025.

A city spokesperson said the water rate hike is estimated to generate about $1.1 million annually, with $550,000 anticipated for the six months it’s in effect this year.

The city said the reserves — funds saved over the years when revenue is higher than expenses — in the water fund reached $12.9 million in 2019. At the start of this year, the fund only held $2.3 million, which is below the recommended minimum of $5.5 million to have in case of emergencies.