Water and sewer rates going up

By Erica Noonan
Globe Staff

Water and sewer rates for Wellesley residents are scheduled to increase as of July 1, the start of the new fiscal year.

Public works officials have voted to raise water rates by nearly 9 percent annually and sewer rates by about 6 percent. .

That is expected to bring the average user bill for both services to a annual total of more than $1,200, an increase of about $60.

The town supplies much of its own drinking water, but also uses sewer services supplied by the Massachusetts Water Resources Authority, which saw its rates to local municipalities rise steadily in recent years, in part a function of the higher costs of chemical treatments and fuel.