Residents in Cuyahoga Falls will shell out more for their water bills.

Starting this month, water rates rise by 15 percent. This is the second rate increase during the past two years.

City Service Director Valerie Wax Carr tells the Falls News Press that the Falls rates are still the lowest in Summit County.

Carr says the city needs to improve its "aging infrastructure" as she noted 70 percent of the city's water lines are more than 50 years old.

The rate hike is a move toward an EPA recommendation of water rates to fall in line with 1.3 to 3.1 percent of a median household income. Still, Carr tells the newspaper that with the 2012 increase, the city is still well below the recommended rate range.

The Cuyahoga Falls water system also services residents in Silver Lake, Munroe Falls and some residents in Stow. Customers in Silver Lake and Munore Falls will not only pay the additional 15-percent, but they also must pay an additional 20-percent under a new contract.

On the web: FallsNewsPress.com