City of Riverside increasing water rates

RIVERSIDE, Ala. (WBRC) - Starting this summer, if you live in the city of Riverside, you can expect to see an increase in your water bill.

Local leaders voted this month to raise prices by less than $5 a month, something Mayor Rusty Jessup says was necessary.

“We went up $4 across the board,” says Mayor Jessup. “We haven’t taken that rate increase for over five years now. We are very blessed here in Riverside and we have a good supply of groundwater. Our minimal water bill has only been $22 a month, so we went up to $26.″

Mayor Jessup says residents have responded well to the changes and he believes many of them won’t notice much of a difference in their bill.

“That minimum water bill includes 3,000 gallons,” says Mayor Jessup. “So, mostly for a couple or an elderly couple, it won’t even get over 3,000 gallons. Our average use is less than 5,000 gallons per month.”

With the inflated cost of chemicals and additives to keep the water purified and cleaned, Mayor Jessup says this price increase was needed.

“New regulations are constantly coming down from the feds about what we have to filter for,” says Mayor Jessup. “Those supplies are getting more and more expensive every day. Plus your people get more expensive too. We now will be able to give our water department employees a small raise.”

These changes will go into effect in June.

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