PULASKI (NBC 26) — The water pipeline connecting Pulaski to Lake Michigan is up and running, and now residents are likely to see their water bills more than double.
- To cover the cost of constructing the Pulaski water pipeline, the Village is looking to increase water bills by around 130%.
- There is a Public Service Commission of Wisconsin public hearing on Sept. 28 to determine the exact increase on Pulaski water bills.
- Find previous NBC26 reporting on the pipeline here.
Jeff Armbruster has lived in Pulaski for over a decade.
“It’s going to be a serious problem down here I’m thinking," he says.
He lives in an apartment building, but he's worried higher water bills will increase his overall rent.
“A lot of us are really worried right now, very worried," he says. "Your going to be shorthanded on your walking around money, and that’s going to impact businesses, rents going to be tighter, groceries are going up, interest rates– it’s not a good situation.”
He's not the only resident who's worried.
“It’s a bit of a sticker shock," Greg Smurawa, a Pulaski resident and business owner, says. “I can see how that might negatively affect future business development, future families moving into the area.”
NBC26 also received multiple concerned emails from people in Pulaski.
According to the Village, water bills are expected to increase by around 132%, though the exact amount will be determined at a Public Service Commission of Wisconsin public hearing on Sept. 28.
"Nothing is locked in stone yet," Village President Keith Chambers, says. "It could be what they're recommending, it could be more it could be less. I'd love it if it was less, but I don't think it's going to be."
The increase will cover the construction costs of a recently constructed pipeline, connecting Pulaski to Lake Michigan through Hobart. Chambers says the pipeline cost around $16 million.
"It's like a house mortgage, you've bought it for 'X' amount, you've got to pay us back 'X' amount plus interest, so if you're paying less you're paying for longer," he says.
Watch the broadcast story here:
Chambers says the pipeline was necessary after the Wisconsin DNR deemed Pulaski did not have a large enough water source in case of emergencies.
“They gave us, I don't know if you want to call it a heads-up or a mandate, to get a higher water capacity," he says. "There’s no getting around that, that was the state, and they gave us time obviously, they told us about it five or six years ago."
Chambers says the pipeline wasn't the only option to satisfy the mandate. They could've built another well in Pulaski, but he says that would have been more expensive.
"Drilling a well would have been more money because of the fact that we'd have to put a treatment plant building at each well, and that would be our third well, so we'd have to put three of them in," he says.
Smurawa owns Smurawa's County Bakery. He says he'll have to raise prices, as he's facing increases at home and at work.
“That’s a double whammy. We’re going to be paying double, if not more than double, here, and then the same thing at home," he says. "You can't bake without water."
Smurawa says this is just another thing on a growing ticket of expenses.
“It’s a difficult time to be in business," he says. "We’re seeing surcharges added to our daily deliveries, for products we're buying, for fuel, insurance has skyrocketed- for business insurance and workman's comp insurance, so it’s stormy waters. It's not what it used to be, but you know, we’ll continue to be here. We’ll continue to do our best to serve our community, serve our customers."
