City of Blaine water bill, other utilities to increase in March

Blaine residents should plan for increased utility rates starting in March.

Blaine City Council approved revising its 2023 budget in January to increase utility rates to pay for increased operating and capital costs in the utility fund. The rates will increase 17.5 percent for water and 8 percent for electric, sewer and stormwater.

The city is expected to increase the water utility 17.5 percent annually until 2025 to make up for years of council not increasing the rate to keep up with inflation.

Last March, the city increased the water utility by 17.5 percent and made more modest increases – 5 percent for sewer and 3.5 percent for electric and stormwater. A typical increase is about 3 percent, The Northern Light previously reported.