Water rates to increase in Green Bay

If you live in the Green Bay and get a water bill, you’ll soon be paying more for the water.

• As of August 1, water rates will increase for Green Bay Water customers.
• The average residential customer will pay $4 more per month, or about $50 per year, the utility said.
• The increase comes after Green Bay Water's expenses have gone up since the last increase four years ago, said Brian Powell, Green Bay Water's general manager.

On average, residential customers will pay an extra $4 per month, or about $50 per year, according to Green Bay Water.

Like so many others, Gabriela Martinez says she’s already dealing with increased expenses.

"We definitely don’t want to pay more, for our water," Martinez, a Green Bay resident, said.

But as of August 1, water rates in Green Bay are going up.

Lydia Thompson of Green Bay says she’ll just have to find that money in her budget.

"We’re always watching our money, we have a budget and we try our best to stick to it," Thompson said.

The general manager of Green Bay Water, Brian Powell, said that as the utility's costs have gone up, so do their rates.

“What we pay WPS for electricity, what we pay for chemicals, [employees' salaries]... everything has gone up, so accordingly, we have to raise rates," Powell said.

Powell said their last rate increase was four years ago, and that it’s not Green Bay water deciding on its own to raise rates and the state Public Service Commission decides what changes are necessary to Green Bay Water’s rates.

Wholesale customers of Green Bay Water, including the Village of Ashwaubenon, the Town of Scott, the Village of Wrightstown, and the Village of Hobart, will also be paying more. How and whether those costs will be passed on to those municipalities' customers will be decided individually for those areas, Powell said.