DEKALB COUNTY, Ga. — Water sewer rates will increase by 10% annually, after DeKalb County commissioners voted 5-2 on Tuesday.

The proposed rate hike aims to fund long-overdue repairs and replacements for the county’s aging water infrastructure. The discussion gained urgency after a water main break in Brookhaven last month left thousands without clean water for several days.

The plan has undergone multiple revisions, starting last year as a 6% annual increase over three years before evolving into the current proposal, which would effectively double the average monthly water bill by the end of the decade. Currently, the average bill is $70 per month.

Residents and officials alike acknowledge the county’s infrastructure issues. Glen Kaas, a DeKalb resident who recently watched crews repair a broken water main in his neighborhood, noted that pipe failures are common. “We have water main breaks all the time. The neighborhood is already 100 years old,” Kaas said.

DeKalb CEO Lorraine Cochran-Johnson has also voiced concerns, stating that the county has delayed necessary repairs for too long.

Commissioners are expected to vote on the proposal later today.