Decatur residents will soon see an increase in their sewer bills

DECATUR, Ind. (WANE) - There might be one thing that's a common dislike among all people...bills.

"It's a must," said Decatur City Councilman Matt Dyer. "It needs to be done, and the cost of everything has gone up, therefore that department has been broke."

Decatur City Council agreed Tuesday night to comply with an order from the Indiana Department of Environmental Management to upgrade the city sewer system or face heavy fines. As a result, customers' rates will go up as soon as the November billing cycle. People living in Decatur could see their bill increase anywhere from $10 to $45 a month.

"After extensive work on our sewer system, we now need additional upgrades which could be as much as 3 million," Dyer said.

There hasn't been a rate increase in Decatur since 2008. However, Dyer said this is so the city can function without borrowing money.

"It's going to affect many greatly," Dyer said. "Many of the folks in Decatur are working,some still aren't working, and some of them would choose to spend this additional hundreds of dollars a year differently."

Dyer said for his family it'll be around $300 more a year, and he knows some of his neighbors are in the same boat.

"You start thinking about food and all your other bills you still have coming in, so it definitely affects the bottom line," said Aaron Gower, a Decatur resident.

Dyer said he and his family of 4 could definitely find other ways to use the extra money.

"We would spend it on groceries, diapers and groceries," Dyer said.

He also said there's been a recent increase in the electric bills the city pays to run the plants, which has led to financial problems. That being the case, the city didn't want to take on more debt.