Many rural users will be seeing their water bills rise this year and the next.
SaskWater announced Wednesday it will increase rates for 48,000 people it serves.
The first increase is due to take effect in May 2017, with the next one coming in May 2018.
The company noted about 77 per cent of the people it serves live in the area around Saskatoon. SaskWater buys the water it provides to those people from the City of Saskatoon, which announced it was raising rates by 9.5 per cent in 2017, followed by a 9.25 per cent increase in 2018.
In the southern part of the province, SaskWater purchases water from the Buffalo Pound Water Treatment Plant, which announced it would be charging an additional seven per cent.
All other SaskWater customers can expect rate increases of between two and 4.5 per cent.
SaskWater supplies water to various municipalities, who then handle distribution to their residents. The company noted each community will decide what they charge users, but stated that the average cost to consumers would likely be around $7.32 per month in 2017, rising to $7.53 per month in 2018.
Customers should get written notices informing them of their specific increases.