Sewage rates for Lafayette residents could be increasing 30% by January 1st, 2015.
City Engineer Jenny Miller says the money is needed to help pay for $33 million in storm water improvement projects.
She says the work involves separating storm water and sanitary sewers from the Tippecanoe County Fairgrounds area along 18th Street up to Kossuth Street.
Miller says the storm water will then flow into a ditch at 18th Street, alleviating capacity problems in the existing line and reducing raw sewage overflows into Durkees Run. She says another benefit is reduced street and basement flooding in the area.
If the projects are approved, sewage rates would increase in three stages. They would go up 15% beginning February 1st of next year, an additional 10% in January 2014, and a 4% hike in January 2015.
