After hearing about Huntley’s upcoming water rate increase in May, Sun City residents might be curious how Huntley’s rates compare to those of other communities, now and in the future.
Starting in May, the village’s rates will increase annually for five straight years. The village’s current annual water/sewer bill for a typical residential user is about $495. That figure will rise to $590 in 2022. Huntley residents receive bills every other month.
The short answer? In both years, Huntley’s rate will be almost the lowest among 15 other communities. This is according to a survey conducted by the village late last year, before they rolled out the details of a five-year capital expansion and upgrade of their water/ sewer infrastructure facilities due to take effect on May 1.
The survey gathered facts about current and projected future rates from Pingree Grove, East Dundee, Elgin, Marengo, Hampshire, Crystal Lake, Carpentersville, Algonquin, Sycamore, Gilberts, West Dundee, Lake in the Hills, McHenry, Cary, and Woodstock.
Huntley’s current $495 water/sewer bill for a typical household is 14th lowest among all of its neighbors. Huntley’s bill is about $212 lower than the average of the other 14 communities. Pingree Grove has the highest current annual cost – $1,020. Woodstock has the lowest – $462.
Factoring in Huntley’s increase to the year 2022, Huntley’s typical bill will rise to nearly $591, compared to a projected average of $755 for the other 14 communities. That’s $164 lower than the projected 2022 area average. Algonquin, with a population of nearly 31,000, is projected to have the highest typical combined bill by 2022 – $1,136.
The survey also revealed that Huntley’s current water/sewer rate is the 13th lowest among the 15 communities – $7.36 per 1,000 gallons, 21% less than the average of the other 14 communities. By 2022, factoring in Huntley’s increase, its rate will rise to $8.95 per 1,000 gallons, 10th lowest in the area, or 12% less than the area average.
Also according to the survey, Huntley spends significantly less on its water/sewer program per employee than seven other communities. Huntley has 10 full-time employees in its water-sewer department, serving a population of nearly 26,600. McHenry, with an almost identical population of 26,600, has 22 employees in its water/sewer department.
The first Huntley bills reflecting the first-year increase will arrive in homes in June.
