Water Authority Approves Rate Increase For 2014

The Mohawk Valley Water Authority's newest budget is proposing a 2.9 percent rate increase.
The increase amounts to an average cost of about $10 more per household per year or about $0.85 per month.

Executive Director Pat Becher says the increase is a hard thing to avoid because even though water usage is slightly down, unfunded state mandated projects like covered water storage required the city to take out loans to complete.

The rate increase will help offset repayment of those bonds as well as help maintain the city's water mains.