CORBIN — By Carl Keith Greene / Staff Writer

It appears that Laurel County’s Wood Creek water district may increase its rates by about 26 percent.

Donta Evans, superintendent for Wood Creek, also East and West Laurel water districts, said that once the rate increase is approved for Wood Creek it “will pass through” to the other two districts.

The three districts are averaging between “four and-a-half to six million gallons a day,” from the water treatment plant, he said.

That water goes to about 15,000 customers each day, about 5,000 in each district, Evans said.

It sells water in six counties, he explained, Laurel, Knox, Whitley, Clay, Jackson and Rockcastle.

Most residential customers would see an increase of about $7.50 each month and businesses would have an increase of about $85 per month.

A rate schedule indicated that customers with a five-eights to three-quarter inch meter for the first 2,000 gallons, the minimum bill now would be $16.43 and after the change, $20.69.

Following that the next 1,500 gallons is now 5.23 per thousand gallons and the increase would be $6.59 per thousand gallons.

The next level, of 1,500 gallons, would be $5.87 per thousand gallons on the new rate.

After that the next level of 2,500 more gallons would be, after the change, $4.94 per thousand gallons on the new rate and over 7,500 gallons the proposed rate would be $3.90 per thousand gallons.

For a one-inch meter showing 5,000 gallons the minimum bill now would be $31.26. The proposed increase would be $39.36

The next 2,500 gallons would be $3.92 per thousand and the proposed rate $4.94 per thousand.

Over 7,500 gallons, the bill now would be 3.09 per thousand and the new rate would be 3.90 per gallons.

Other meter sizes range from 1.5 inches to six inches.

The three-inch meter would, at 30,000 gallons, now be billed at a minimum of $110.58 and the new minimum would be $139.22.

Over 30,000 gallons would be $3.09 per thousand gallons.

The six-inch meter’s first 10,000 gallons would be billed at $326.88 with the new minimum would be $411.55.

Over that is now $3.09 per 1,000 gallons and would be $3.90 per 1,000 gallons with the increase.

It’s the district’s first increase in the past six years.

Evans said a sewage treatment plant is in the early stages of construction.

“It’s a pretty good ways down the road,” he added.

He said that definitely the plant will be built eventually.

With a new water treatment plant in the works and a new pipe line coming from Laurel River Lake, for Laurel Water District #2 things are looking up, Kenny Finley, one of the board members, said Thursday.

There are about 5,800 customers getting water from the system’s current plant, Finley said.

“When our new plant is complete, we’ll double the size (of the existing plant) and we’ll be able to produce about four million gallons of water a day,” he added.

“We’ll have an abundant amount of water and we’ll have good water.” The current plant has switched over to water from the Laurel River Lake temporarily until the new plant will go into production, he said.

“With our rates we’ll still be cheaper than any of the others,” he said.

For five-eights and three-quarter meters at a thousand gallons or less the monthly minimum is $9.95.

The monthly minimums for one-inch meters at 5,000 gallons would be $26.67, a 1.5-inch for 10,000 gallons would be $47.57, a two-inch with 20,000 gallons would be $49.37, a three-inch would be 131.17 for 30,000 gallons and a four-inch with 50,000 gallons would be $214.47.

The London Utility Commission’s water in the city the rates begin at $9.79 for up to 2,000 gallons. It increases by 100 gallons. So for a meter that registers 3,000 gallons the bill would be about $12.86. At 4,000 gallons the bill would be $15.93 and 5,000 gallons would be $19.00.

Seven thousand gallons would be $24.78, 9,000 gallons $30.20 and 10,000 gallons $32.91.

In the city and other areas that is served by the London sewer system, the additional charge for the first 2,000 gallons would be $12.05.

The bill for 3,000 gallons for sewer would be $18.17, for 4,000 gallons, $24.29, for 5,000 gallons the charge would be $30.41.

For 7,000 gallons the sewer bill would be $42.65, and 10,000 gallons the bill would be $61.01.

Outside the city the costs increase.

Up to 2,000 gallons the water price is $14.84 and the sewage price $15.27.

Some 3,000 gallons would cost $19.25 and $23.03 for sewage, 4,000 gallons of water would be $23.86 and sewage $30.79 and 5,000 gallons would be $28.47 with sewage at $38.55.

For 7,000 gallons the water would cost $37.17 and sewage $54.07 and at 10,000 gallons the water will cost $49.44 and sewage $77.35.

London is another system that gets its water from Laurel River Lake and Wood Creek gets its water from Wood Creek Lake.