Next month, Lismore residents will pay 25 per cent more for the water they use.

 The increase reflects a similar rise in the price being charged to the council by Rous Water says Lismore Mayor Merv King.

Councillor King says the council’s service charge to residents for water supply and sewerage will stay the same.

He says the price rise for actual water used is substantial, but he can understand why.

“Rous is doing the work that it had to do to augment supply, that is taking the water from the river there above Lismore and piping that up to the treatment works and putting that into the supply,” he said.

“Then of course they’ve got plans to build another dam and that’s round about 2018 or 2020 I think.”

Lismore City Council will hold a public meeting to explain its plans for water supply and sewerage services tomorrow night.