Water rates set to increase in Shelby County starting in October

CHELSEA, Ala. ( WIAT ) – People who use Shelby County Water Services will see an increase in their bills starting in October.

The Shelby County Commission unanimously approved Monday night a resolution raising the water rate for residential, commercial and wholesale customers.

Shelby County Water Services says people currently using about 6,000 gallons of water a month are paying around $55 a month but by 2029, they could be paying $10 to $12 more.

“It roughly translates into a 5% increase for residential and commercial businesses and then also for wholesale, a 7.5% increase,” Shelby County Water Services manager Phillip Crunk said.

According to Shelby County Water Services, customers will see their bills increase by five to seven percent for the next five years. The water service says rate increases usually happen every five years as a way to keep up with changing financial factors of providing water.

“This rate increase doesn’t actually cover the projected cost entirely so the county commission has agreed to absorb some of those costs on their own,” Crunk said. “This reality is this covers roughly 91% of those projected costs.”

Many people in Chelsea use Shelby County Water Services, and some residents say this rate increase is alarming.

“Everything is already so high. You know, we’re trying to make sure that we maintain now and so to hear that there’s going to be an increase is really [alarming], and then the quality is really not worth the increase,” Chelsea resident Meyoka Carmichael said.

Some people say water isn’t the only utility to go up recently.

“Our trash went up an astronomical amount just this past year so I’m not sure why the water keeps going up since it’s the same service,” Chelsea resident Lara Parker said. “I guess that’s just the times we’re in and inflation and all that.”

Because water is something people need in their homes, some Chelsea residents say they’ll have no choice but to re-budget once the water rate increases hit.

“We have three kids so it might impact us a little bit. We already have to be a little tight with our money so I’m not sure how this will impact us once this change comes through,” Parker said.

“We have our children and we have things that we have to do so we just have to make the necessary accommodations to make sure that we can still maintain,” Carmichael said.

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