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Hinsdale trustees begin second look at water-rate changes tied to lead-pipe program
Summary
Trustees held a first reading May 19 on two water-rate packages to raise about $1.25 million a year for system upkeep and to help fund required lead-service-line replacements; a final vote is scheduled for June 9.
Trustee Matt Pastore opened a first reading May 19 on proposals to change Hinsdale’s water-rate structure in order to build a more sustainable revenue stream for the village’s water and sewer fund and to prepare for mandated lead-service-line replacements.
Pastore said staff and the village’s water revenue strategy committee presented two options: option 1 would raise the fixed infrastructure fee (IMIF) from $15 to $30 per bimonthly bill and increase variable rates by 9.84%; option 2 would raise the IMIF to $40 and increase variable rates by 5.78%. "There's kind of a toggling, if you will, between the amount of the fixed fee increase versus the percentage increase in the water rates," Pastore said.
The village faces rising wholesale costs from the DuPage Water Commission, growing infrastructure needs and a state requirement to replace all lead pipe within 10 years. Staff estimated total lead-pipe replacement costs at about $6 million (roughly $600,000 per year). The current draft options in the packet assume a 50% cost-share for the private portion of replacements, with the village covering the public-side share.
Trustees questioned distributional effects. One trustee said a larger flat fee can be regressive, hitting small users such as seniors on fixed incomes harder. Pastore said he favors the option with the lower flat-fee increase, noting that doubling a fixed fee "seems like a lot to me." Other trustees pressed for comparative data from neighboring communities, the percent of properties with lead pipe and grant/loan opportunities that might change the village’s share.
Staff and trustees agreed to continue the discussion and scheduled a second read — and possible vote — for June 9. President Greg Hart framed the session as seeking board direction rather than final action: "This is mostly to give direction," he said.
What’s next: Trustees asked staff to produce neighboring-community comparisons, the current estimated count of lead-service lines in Hinsdale (discussed as about 5% of properties), and any additional funding scenarios that would affect resident cost shares ahead of the June meeting.
