Louisville Water Company approves rate hike, and a long list of major projects

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- The Louisville Water Company approved rate hike along and a multi-million dollar list of capitol projects for 2018.

In a release, Louisville Water says the average customer using 5,000 gallons of water will pay 86 cents more a month starting January 1, which brings the average bill to $25.46. A million people depend on Louisville Water for an estimated 33.7 billion gallons of water each year.

The Louisville Water Company also says its capital budget for 2018 approved on Tuesday includes a plan to spend $10.9 million to replace lead service lines with copper. The company wants to minimize the chance that lead will enter the water supply, after water leaves the treatment plant. About 4,600 lead lines remain, but all should be replaced by 2020.

The 2018 budget also includes $33 million to continue doing robotic inspections on some of the 4,200 miles of pipes beneath Louisville, which in come cases date back 150 years. Inspections will focus on water mains larger than 20-inches in diameter. Maintaining pipes in the ground, the company says, reduces water main breaks and helps water quality.

Work will continue on the Eastern Parkway corridor to replace one of Louisville Water's oldest water mains. By slip-lining a new pipe inside the original 1930 pipe, crews avoid digging up the major thoroughfare.

And Louisville Water is working to install a large water main along Interstate 64 that will deliver drinking water to Shelbyville in 2019. That infrastructure is aimed at supporting regional revenue.