EAST PEORIA, Ill. — East Peoria City Council responded Tuesday night to recent concerns over water bills.
Following an Aug. 1 rate hike, residents of the city have been voicing concern on social media over significant increases in their monthly fee.
One of these residents, Jeanette Dixon, appeared at Tuesday night’s meeting to voice concern in person.
“I love East Peoria, but I can’t afford it,” she said. “I know someone whose bill is $600, and someone whose bill is $1,000.”
“I mean, a 56% increase? That’s ridiculous.
“My water bill was double my [electric] bill, and there’s no way I can afford a house payment, property tax, and [energy] bill. My water bill was $345, and that’s me, by myself.”
Commissioner of Public Property Michael Sutherland offered some potential causes.
“If somebody’s bill is $600 or $1,000, and it normally is way lower than that, pool, leak, garden,” he said.
“There’s a reason.”
Mayor John Kahl brought an anonymous resident’s bill from before and after the rate increase to demonstrate Sutherland’s point.
It was from a house that uses, on average, 10,000 gallons.
“One using the old rate, one using the new rate,” explained Kahl.
“The difference? $11.10.
“That’s all their bill increased. My point is, when you look at our water and our sewer rate, and our sewer and capital charge, that charge on there is what we’re talking about when you reference the 56% increase.”
Sutherland said if a resident is unsure about the breakdown of their water usage, the city has a tool to help.
“We have personnel that will plug into their house and tell them if they have a leak or not,” he said.
“[The tool] plugs into your meter and our personnel have the software to [read it].
“They just have to research their bill, because it did go up, but it didn’t go up $100 a month or $200 a month for the same amount of gallons. It didn’t happen.”
