AURORA | Sewer rates for Aurora residents will go up by $1 per month starting next year.

Greg Baker, a spokesman for Aurora Water, said the $1 per month increase is for a new storm drain fee.

“This is due to the large number of drainage improvement projects we have planned in the Westerly and Easterly Creek drainages, as well as in the Fitzsimons area,” he said.

Those flood improvements include widening Westerly Creek, adding a roadway bridge and improving storm flows in the 2,700-foot reach of Westerly Creek, between East 17th Avenue and East 23rd Avenue.

Aurora Water is slated to complete the improvements by the spring of next year, and reopen trails that have been closed since May.

Baker said sewer rates are also increasing by 4 percent starting next year mostly due to a pass-through from the Metro Wastewater Reclamation District, which treats all of Aurora’s sewage.

“They’ve had increases for several years now due to capital costs associated with meeting increased regulatory requirements,” he said.

Fees for multifamily and master metered single-family attached homes will also pay $9.16 per month for the first unit, and $7.21 monthly for additional units, according to city documents, starting in January of next year.

Commercial and industrial users will pay $9.16 per month for the first 2,500 square feet of space, and $7.21 for per month for each additional 2,500 square feet.

Aurora City Council gave final approval to the measure on Oct. 26 at a regular city council meeting.

City Council members voted 8-1 in favor of the increase, with Councilwoman Sally Mounier as the lone vote of dissent. Councilwoman Renie Peterson was absent from the meeting and did not vote.

As the city’s water finance is structured, tap fees pay for water infrastructure and development costs. Monthly water bills pay for regular water treatment and delivery expenses.

In 2013, the city lowered most water tap fees, reducing the cost to connect new homes to the city’s water system by about $8,000.

City officials asked that the water rates be lowered in part to keep Aurora competitive with other metro-area water providers, which they said were affecting the number of housing starts.

Baker said there is also good news with this year’s water fee structure. For the sixth year in Aurora, the city will not see a water rate increase, he said.