KALAMAZOO, Mich. (WOOD) — Kalamazoo drinking water rates will increase by 5% after city commission passed a proposal Monday night.

The water rate increase will be accompanied by a 12% increase in wastewater. The new rates will go into effect in January. The proposed rate increase was presented to the Kalamazoo City Commission in recent meetings.

In November, Public Service Director James Baker said the rate comes amid major upgrades to the system from replacing nearly 100-year-old cast iron water mains to replacing 10,000 lead service lines in the city by 2037.

“These are standalone financial systems. It’s under the operation and ownership of the city, but due to the fact that we serve over 22 communities in wastewater and over 11 communities in water, these utilities have to be 100% self-sufficient,” said Baker last month.

He said the city has some of the lowest rates around the state.

“Overall, we see that from 2017 all the way through now, 2024, we’re still around neck and neck with those same three communities and we anticipate that’s going to happen into the future,” Baker said.

With an average of 120 water main breaks happening per year, Baker said the final goal is to have a system that is ready for anything, whether that’s extreme cold or the typical summer thunderstorm.