Summerville Mayor Harry Harvey is insisting that the city must increase rates for the city’s water customers.  This comes at a time when many Summerville water customers are still afraid to drink the water coming out of their taps.

The mayor contends that the city council must vote to go up on water rates because of the expense of fixing the problem with the city’s water supply.  Earlier this year the city was told by the EPD that the water coming from Raccoon Creek was not within current water standards because of the presence of man made chemicals that have been known to cause cancer.

Earlier this week, the city got good news from a test-well site off Highway 48 that appears it will be able to supply the amount of water needed to help dilute the water supply and get it back within government guidelines.  But the cost of getting that water out of the ground and piped back to the Filter Plant Road water station will be around $3 million.

The council has not voted to raise rates, but discussed the matter at a budget work session on Tuesday of this week.