COLUMBIANA COUNTY, Ohio - Residents throughout most of Columbiana County can expect to pay a little bit more on their sewer bills starting in 2025.

Columbiana County Chief Deputy Sanitar Engineer Troy Graft tells 21 News Commissioners approved a three-year sewer rate increase for the county with rates increasing by 10% in 2025 and 2026 and by 5% in 2027.

Residents can expect to see these rate increases starting with their next meter reading in July. Payments will be due by early August.

Graft says this increase is necessary because the county has not had a sewer rate increase since July 2017, nearly eight years ago. Since them the consumer price index has increased by 26%.

This has caused the county's expenditures to exceed the revenue generated, so this increase is necessary to keep the department up and running.

Graft tells 21 News the Village of Lisbon will be the only municipality not affected by these increases because they are contracted with their own village sewer department.

The Columbiana County Jail and the Federal Correctional Institution in Elkton will also not be affected by the rate increases.