Gadsden Water & Sewer rates increase

Water customers served by The Gadsden Water Works and Sewer Board will be paying more for water and sewer services beginning next month. 

Monday The board approved a 6 percent water rate increase and a 3 percent sewer rate increase that General Manager Frank Eskridge said would increase the average bill for residential customers by $1.63 per month.

Eskridge said the increase would mean the average residential bill will be $39.70 a month and the minimum bill will increase from $19.18 per month to $20.07.

Eskridge said the rate increase was “significantly affected” by the decision by Rainbow City last year to begin purchasing water from Odenville in November 2015.

He said there would have been a small rate increase anyway this year.

Eskridge said as a result of losing Rainbow City as a customer, the system is having to restructure its income stream on water revenue.

Eskridge said that Rainbow City not purchasing water will cost the system about 12.5 percent of water revenue.