The Little Rock Board of Directors authorized a series of sewer rate increases Tuesday that will start in 2017.
At the recommendation of Little Rock Wastewater, the city board approved 4.75 percent increases to go into effect each year from 2017 through 2021.
The increases are in addition to a rise already set to take place in January that is estimated to raise customers bills 4.35 percent.
Wastewater Chief Executive Officer Greg Ramon said the increases are needed to meet a consent decree and the terms of a lawsuit settlement that require citywide sewer overflows be corrected. The utility has been under the mandate since 2001 and has put in place several increases to pay for the cost of projects.
Ramon, who was hired in October after the previous CEO was fired in January 2014, has taken a new approach to the mitigation plan. Instead of relying heavily on building additional storage facilities to handle excess stormwater like the previous plan did, Ramon's plan focuses on repairing and replacing faulty pipes.
For more information, read Wednesday's Arkansas Democrat-Gazette.