Columbus City Utilities will be looking for a rate increase in the face of falling revenue and increasing infrastructure costs.

Keith Reeves, utilities director, gave a preliminary look at the department’s 2018 budget needs during last week’s City Council meeting…

Reeves says that the projected income for 2018 is down 1.5 percent from the 2017 projections.

He adds that there will have to be a rate increase at some point. He says that the utilities department’s 2018 proposed budget includes a rate consultant to help determine what kind of rate increases will be needed, and when.

He says that there is a need for increased capital expenditures in the coming year for the water plants, as well as the wastewater treatment facility.

He says that there is a need for increased capital expenditures in the coming year…

He explains the need for the third centrifuge to help treat wastewater…

He also said that there is a need for more manpower.

Reeves says that there is also an increase in water chemical treatments costs.

The utilities department’s proposed budget is scheduled to be presented in December.