City of Chandler staff are scheduled to conduct a public meeting Wednesday concerning a recommendation to increase rates for water, wastewater and other services.

The meeting will be 5 p.m. Sept. 13 in the council conference room at City Hall, 88 E. Chicago St. A virtual meeting link will also be provided online prior to the meeting, according to a release.

New utility rate options were presented to the council during a work session on July 20 and, if approved, would begin in January.

As an example, the combined residential average utility bill would increase to $78.13 from $75.89. For more: chandleraz.gov/ProposedUtilityRates.

Based on the results of Chandler’s Cost of Service study and updated financial rate models, the release stated, the city recommends the changes to fund rising operating and capital costs.

The costs include supplies such as chemicals and electricity “that are essential to the processes of providing safe drinking water and treating wastewater, as well as increases in contract costs for solid waste and recycling collection,” city officials said in the release. 

“Capital project construction materials and related debt service costs have also increased related to water and wastewater facility improvement projects focused on aging infrastructure such as main replacements, well construction and rehabilitation and sewer assessments and rehabilitation.”