Picking up on action delayed from July, the Falls Church City Council tonight voted unanimously, 6-0 (Lawrence Webb absent), to raise the water rates for customers of the Falls Church Water System. As a “second reading” vote, it is final and the increase will do into effect Oct. 1.

City Manager Wyatt Shields reminded the Council that the increase would amount to a total from $2 to $7 per quarter, based on usage, or 2.2 to 7.9 cents per day.

In making the motion for passage, Councilman Ira Kaylin noted that the vote was delayed from July 11 to give the City’s attorneys an opportunity to confirm with Fairfax County that it was agreed the rate increase would not violate the terms of the Circuit Court’s recent ruling pertaining to the City’s “return on investment” policy. He reported that Fairfax Water provided a response in writing confirming that the rate increase would not violate that ruling.

“As we established in July, the increase is justified, appropriate and proper,” he said, to create financial security and reserves for the system, helping ensure safe and reliable water delivery. “We will not respond to pressures to keep our rates artificially now,” he said.