The Louisville Water Company has approved an operating budget for next year which includes an average monthly customer bill increase of 77 cents.
Although the amount of water used in Louisville has decreased, spokeswoman Kelley Dearing Smith says the rate increase is necessary.“We still have to raise the rates in a very small manner to make sure we still maintain that high quality that customers expect," she says.The quasi-governmental agency says its operating and maintenance budget has increased and it’s partly due to higher power costs and pension expenses.The budget includes finishing the renovation of the Crescent Hill Filtration Plant, which is a $100 million project.It also includes new technology that will help Louisville Water Company read meters in rural parts of southeast Jefferson County.The capital budget is $74.3 million, with revenue projected at $167 million for 2013. The operating and maintenance budget is $68.6 million, a 4.3 percent increase from 2012.The average residential monthly bill will increase to $21.40 for a customer using 5,000 gallons of water, according to a release sent by Louisville Water Company.The increase will go into effect January 1.