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West Chicago council weighs sewer-rate options, leans toward preplanned increase for 2026
Summary
Councilors heard staff modeling showing a projected multi‑year deficit and reviewed three rate scenarios for sewer charges; staff reported residential customers now shoulder about 59–60% of sewer revenue and recommended a rate study. An informal show of hands favored the preplanned increase; no formal vote was taken.
West Chicago — City staff on Nov. 4 presented councilors with three options for 2026 sewer-rate adjustments and detailed modeling showing long-term deficits that, they said, the multiyear rate plan is meant to mitigate.
Staff explained the city adopted a phased rate plan in 2023 to spread increases and avoid reactive spikes. "This phased approach allows for smaller, predictable annual increases rather than large reactive adjustments," a staff member told the council. Under the plan presented, the water rate increase scheduled for Jan. 1 would move the city’s water charge to about $9.90 per 1,000 gallons; residential sewer would rise from $10.50 to $11 per 1,000 gallons and commercial/industrial sewer from about $10.82 to $11.34 per 1,000 gallons.
The staff presentation showed projected shortfalls if increases are not implemented: roughly $8.38 million in the water fund and about $7.05 million in the sewer fund between fiscal years 2026 and 2030, according to staff projections. For sewer revenue in FY2026 staff estimated about $7.92 million under the adopted plan.
Staff walked the council through three alternatives that would produce approximately the same total sewer revenue while shifting the distribution of the burden. The "middle" option would raise residential sewer to $10.75 per 1,000 gallons and commercial to $11.72; a commercial-only option would hold residential at $10.50 and raise commercial to $12.08 per 1,000 gallons. Modeling of a major user's bill showed monthly and annual increases under each scenario.
Council members pressed staff on equity and how usage versus revenue actually breaks down. "A gallon of water going into the sewer, whether it comes from industrial or residential, is the same gallon of water — it has to get treated the same way," one councilor said, urging caution about putting an outsized burden on commercial users.
On the question of pretreatment and an existing nonresidential surcharge, staff brought wastewater pretreatment specialist Maypole Patel to the podium. Patel described the pretreatment program and sampling protocols and said the city places pretreatment responsibility on-site for certain industries: "We have a person on staff that is in charge of the pretreatment program, which includes the monthly monitoring, the semiannual sampling, the annual reporting, and uploading all the documents with the EPA," Patel said, adding that oversight consumes roughly half of one staff position's time.
Councilors also sought clarity about the current 3% nonresidential charge: staff clarified the 3% is applied to all nonresidential customers (not just the nine businesses requiring formal pretreatment) and that it contributes approximately $100,000 annually toward pretreatment and related costs in the commercial/industrial sector.
After extended discussion, councilors took an informal show of hands on which option staff should bring back as a formal agenda item. The majority indicated they were leaning toward the preplanned (status-quo) increase; one councilor raised a hand for the middle option. City staff said they will return with additional comparative analysis, a recommended path forward, and the more detailed data councilors requested (including usage-versus-revenue breakdowns) before any formal vote.
Next steps: staff will prepare a formal agenda item with the recommended rate option, the requested detailed comparisons and any proposed implementation timeline. No final rate decision was made during the Nov. 4 meeting.
