Yorkville delays water rate hikes 2 more months; Lake Michigan project back to original $300M estimate

The City of Yorkville is pushing back water rate hikes after the final bid for the Lake Michigan water project came in under original estimates.The city said the good news is being able to delay the rate hikes for another two months while the city considers potentially altering the future increases.With concerns over rising construction costs avoided, the city may decrease the water rate hikes if alterations are favored.This is the third time the City Council has agreed to delay the next round of rate hikes over a cumulative six-month period.“This will hold rates flat,” Mayor John Purcell said. “There’s not been a rate increase in about a year-and-a-half now. We will discuss this again in a couple months.”The city first approved 20% annual water rate increases over five consecutive years in June 2025. Over that period, average residential water bills are expected to double to help cover the project’s costs. The city is expecting the final tab to be around $224.4 million.While the joint