Summerville Mayor Harry Harvey said the City Council is considering raising water rates for city customers at a time many residents are still afraid to drink the water after it was found to be contaminated.
Harvey said the rate increase could be 20 to 25% and will help cover the costs of the water remediation project that now is estimated to cost between $1.5 million and $3 million.
Earlier this month, the city in Chattooga County, Georgia, found that a test-well site on Highway 48 will be able to supply the amount of water needed to dilute the current supply and provide drinking water that will meet government standards.
The project will include drilling a new well and installing a 16-inch transmission line that will run 3 miles long and pipe water back to the Filter Plant Road water station. The cost will be higher than originally thought.
Harvey didn’t know how much more people would have to pay on their monthly bill due to the possible increase, and City Manager Janice Galloway did not return a call Friday afternoon to clarify.