Sheridan residents upset with high water bills

SHERIDAN, Ind. – Residents in a Hamilton County town are frustrated with poor water quality and high bills.

“It comes out as like a yellowish color when you turn the faucet on,” said Sheridan resident, Austin Barnes.

Barnes said he had zero issues with the water until Indiana American Water Company took over a few years ago.

“The quality of water has definitely declined,” he said.

“We’ve had a couple of boil advisories since they’ve changed, and then my bill is doubled, at least, if not tripled.”

Indiana American Water said unless there’s a warning issued, the water is safe to drink.

Barnes barely uses the water from the tap and said he still has outrageously high bills.

Other residents in town also said they’re experiencing the same.

“Before they took over, we were at $60 to $90 a month, and now we’re up to $150 to $200 a month,” he said.

Indiana American  Water said a few factors contribute to the high bills.

First, the summer drought. Households are typically using more water right now than compared to previous summers.

Another reason is the Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission (IURC) approved rate increases earlier this year.

The rates have risen in three steps, with the last anticipated for May 2025.

“$200 a month for water just seems crazy to me,” said Barnes.

“It sounds like they will be going up again and that just doesn’t sound like much fun.”

Due to his frustrations, Barnes and his family may consider moving, if the prices are only going to continue to increase.

“We’ve looked at the state average wide water bill, and it says that’s around $60 and the average for Hamilton County is around $90,” he said.

“If you stayed in the county and got out of Sheridan, it seems like it would cut our water bill in half.”

Indiana American Water notes that Sheridan residents pay for water and wastewater treatment through them.

Neighboring areas, like Noblesville for example, only pay for water, so their bills are often cheaper in comparison.

The company said they’re investing millions in infrastructure and working to improve the current systems in place.

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