ZELIENOPLE — Borough council Monday night officially enacted the new water rates that will be charged to its 1,800 customers beginning in March.

Council adopted the change in the Capital Improvements Surcharge to pay for its new water distribution system with the Beaver Falls Authority.

Council also set its new water rates, which reflect the higher cost in buying bulk water for distribution from Beaver Falls.

The new water distribution system is expected to be operating by the fall.

Water customers will face a rate increase for the purchasing of water from Beaver Falls and for the construction of the new distribution system.

There will be two rate increases, 26 percent in March and 13 percent in September. An increase in a surcharge fee also will begin in March.

Borough council decided to spread out the overall increase to help lessen the financial impact on customers.

Customers also are billed a monthly capital improvements surcharge. In September, council approved an increase for that surcharge to $18.50 per month from $6.20. That increase will appear in bills in March.

With the borough's water system, customers paid $17.50 a month for up to 2,000 gallons of water. From 2,000 to 8,000 gallons, a $4 charge is added per 1,000 gallons.

Water consumption of more than 8,000 gallons costs $5.38 per 1,000 gallons a month.

With the first rate increase in March, water customers using 2,000 gallons monthly will pay $22.05 in addition to the monthly $18.50 surcharge. That rate will increase to $24.85 monthly beginning in September with the second rate increase.

For a customer using 4,000 gallons, the new rate will be $32.13 in March and increase to $36.21 in September.

For a customer using 8,000 gallons, the rate will be $52.29 beginning in March and increase to $58.93 in September.

The surcharge increase will pay for the $5.8 million that will be borrowed for the water connection with the Beaver Falls Municipal Authority and for a potential water line replacement along Main Street.