BY TONY WALTER • This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it • AUGUST 23, 2009 •
 
The Central Brown County Water Authority expects a 3.7 percent increase in water pipeline charges to its six member municipalities in 2010, with the village of Allouez and the town of Lawrence seeing the biggest increases.

 
The proposed monthly charges will be reviewed by the governing bodies of Bellevue, Allouez, De Pere, Ledgeview, Law- rence and Howard before going to a public hearing and a vote of the authority board in October.

Each community decides what to charge its business and residential users.

The municipalities get water from Lake Michigan through the city of Manitowoc pipeline.

The proposed 2010 budget for the authority is $12,266,216, up just $42,000 from 2009.

Under the proposed budget, Lawrence would see a 33.7 percent monthly increase, while Allouez' monthly charge would go up 14.6 percent. Ledgeview's increase would be 9.3 percent, Bellevue's 6.3 percent, and Howard's 0.7 percent. De Pere's monthly charge would decrease 3.3 percent.

"People are conserving water more and we encourage conservation," Vaclavik said.

Water use this year was down more than 10 percent, said Authority Manager Dave Vaclavik who cited the economy and the fact that De Pere lost a couple of industrial customers.