The Joaquin City Council has voted to raise the monthly in-city water fee by $10 in hopes of stopping up to some $400,000 a year in losses the utility has been experiencing.

City Secretary Amanda Willey tells us customers will see the minimum increase from $17 to $27 a month take effect in 60 days from last Friday.

At the same time, Joaquin City Water customers will have the minimum gallon useage decrease from 2,000 to 1,000 gallons a month.

Ms. Willey says the city has needed to increase fees to make the system more supportive and stop the losses since a feasibility study was done by the state in 2010. She adds hopefully the water rate increase will help offset the tremendous amount of money that has been spent on the water system. The costs steem from installation of a reverse Osmosis treatment facility and the everyday expenses the utility generates.

It's hoped those funds will now go for street repair and other improvements in the City of Joaquin.

Ms. Willey said nothing has been done to increase sewage rates, but that could be in the future.

By the way, the Boil Water Notice issued last Friday for the Joaquin & Haslam Water Supply has been lifted, as of Monday afternoon.