Henrico residents could see water bills go up starting this summer

HENRICO COUNTY, Va. (WRIC) -- Residents of Henrico County could have to pay more for their water and sewer starting July 1. Officials are asking for feedback from the community on this proposed pricing change.

During a scheduled meeting on Tuesday, March 11, the Henrico County Board of Supervisors voted to introduce an ordinance that would, if ultimately passed, raise the cost of water-related utility services.

According to documents provided by the board, a customer who uses 10 CCF -- or just under 7,500 gallons -- of water bimonthly would see an increase of about $7.35, or about 12 cents a day. Officials said this represents a median account holder, or the midpoint of household water use across Henrico's water system.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) reports that a family of four's average water use in a 30-day period is about 10,000 gallons. This estimate was made using nationwide data from 2015 and 2016.

According to the county, these changes are recommended in order to "support annual operating, debt service and capital costs associated with water and sewer projects."

In the wake of the Richmond water crisis in January, Henrico has made it clear that it wants to separate itself from the city's water infrastructure. Such independence does come with costs. Notably, though, county officials did not explicitly state that the push for its own self-sufficiency motivated this proposed ordinance.

If this ordinance is passed, the price increase would go into effect on July 1.

Prior to that, there will be a public hearing held on this matter during its scheduled meeting on April 8. Those who would like to share their thoughts on this ordinance with the board should plan to attend. That meeting should begin at 6 p.m., per the county's website.