Claremont — The City Council voted, 7-2, on Wednesday to increase water rates over a five-year period.

Under the approved rate structure, the semi-annual bill for majority of customers on both the city’s water and sewer systems will increase about $50 by 2021, bringing it to $382, or $764 a year, according to the Department of Public Works. There was no change in the sewer rates.

There are 2,388 water and sewer customers with about 70 percent using an average of 2,500 cubic feet of water every six months. The city has 817 water only customers and five on sewer alone.

The rate schedule also freezes the cubic foot charge up to 2,000 cubic feet or less every six months. The fixed charge for water customer will increase 17.5 percent a year to 2021, to $42.50 from $19.

DPW Assistant Director Vic St. Pierre said the increase will allow the department to complete several capital improvement projects including replacing lead service lines from the mains to the property lines (not from the property line to the house) and also replace meters with lead in them.

The city has applied for two large grants through the state’s revolving loan fund to pay some of the capital expenses.

— Staff report