WEST LAFAYETTE – City of West Lafayette water ratepayers now know approximately how much their monthly water bills will increase since Indiana American Water Company has filed its tariff of charges.

Indiana American Water was requesting a 60 percent rate increase from the State of Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission. The City of West Lafayette hired a law firm specializing in water rate cases to fight the increase.

The recently filed rate tariff shows the average West Lafayette residential ratepayer will receive a 32 percent rate increase rather than the 60 percent requested. This increase means a residence paying $36.83 a month in the past will soon pay an additional $8.93 per month.

“An increase of 32 percent to an average city ratepayer is a big hit to a family budget,” said West Lafayette mayor John Dennis. “I am glad we chose to defend our ratepayers from the 60 percent increase which Indiana American Water requested. We fought the rate increase hard and are thankful the ratepayers have been spared almost half the increase they faced.”

Residential ratepayers will see differing increases with small water users paying a three percent increase and large users increasing as much as 37 percent. The main reason for the increase is because the Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission approved Single Tariff Pricing where almost all ratepayers statewide now have the same rates.

Traditionally lower than the state average, this move to Single Tariff Pricing has caused West Lafayette ratepayers to see larger increases than some other places in the state which have previously paid much higher rates.