City officials said the primary reason for the adjustment is to cover the cost of approximately $26 million of additional water and sewer improvements needed for the City of Sanford to comply with new Federal and State regulations.
These Federal requirements include the need to reduce nutrients in reclaimed water and the need to meet more stringent drinking water standards.
Additionally, commissioners learned during a presentation from Public Resources Management Group (PRMG) in July that the city has seen a 15.6 percent decrease in water sales since 2006 due to the economy.
If the increase is approved, a typical residential bill of 6,000 gallons will see an increase of $4.34 for water and sewer services (from $55.77 to $60.11).
The changes would become effective as of Oct. 1. Scheduled annual adjustments in accordance with the Consumer Price Index in October will be suspended for this year but will return next year.