In 2019, the City Council approved an increase in the City’s water and sewer rates, which was not implemented until 2022 due to the adverse economic impacts of the pandemic on our population. At that time (2019), there was an expectation that rates would once again increase in either 2022 or 2023. The year 2022 marked the first time the City of West Chicago raised its water rates since 2006 and sewer rates since 2008. Cities across the country are grappling with aging infrastructure that's costly to repair. Additionally, the City is not immune to the inflation experienced across the globe as well as supply chain issues that are severely impacting costs of our infrastructure projects and commodities. Here are just a few examples from this past year:
| Item | Budgeted | Actual/Estimated | % Increase |
| Chemicals* | $625,000 | $877,000 | 140% |
| SCADA System Upgrade Modernization Project | $475,000 | $850,000 | 179% |
| Security System Camera Installation Project | $40,000 | $71,000 | 178% |
| Refuse Disposal (Lime Sludge Removal) | $880,000 | $1,240,500 | 141% |
| Building Joint Sealant | $116,000 | $140,000 | 121% |
| Lab Supplies | $15,000 | $21,000 | 140% |
| Building Repair Parts | $10,000 | $21,100 | 211% |
| Electric | $260,000 | $305,000 | 117% |
| Distribution Parts and Equipment | $70,000 | $123,100 | 176% |
| Influent Headworks Project | $210,000 | $385,000 | 183% |
| Backup Power Feed | $150,000 | $400,000 | 267% |
| Sanitary Collection - parts for vehicles | $25,000 | $60,000 | 240% |
| Increased Costs - Water | $2,491,000 | $3,648,700 | 146% |
| Increased Costs - Sewer | $385,000 | $845,000 | 219% |
| * year over year comparison |
Therefore, another rate increase will occur with your July 2023 or August 2023 bill, depending on your Billing District. This six months’ notice is being given so customers can better prepare for the increased costs. Water rates will increase from $5.00/1,000 gallons to $9.00/1,000 gallons and sewer rates will increase from $7.00/1,000 gallons to $10.00/1,000 gallons. Thereafter, it is the City’s intent to keep rate increases more incremental in nature, if the trends detailed above either decline or at least slow.