Aqua Indiana Requests 100% Rate Hike

A private water utility that serves parts of Whitley, Huntington and Allen Counties has requested permission from the state to double its customers’ water bills. Aqua Indiana says it needs the rate increase to recoup 30-million dollars it spent on improvements to its infrastructure. The proposed rate hike would increase a typical customer’s water bill from just under 18 dollars a month to more than 35 dollars. Typical residential sewage bills would increase from about 25 dollars to nearly 50 dollars. If the state approves the increase, it would probably take effect in September of 2008.