Aug. 29--MORRISON -- One of the city's two wells will be out of commission for a week while the pump motor is repaired, but it shouldn't affect customers.

The pump stopped working Monday, and the next day the pump, shaft and casing were removed, City Manager Tim Long said.

Layne Western, an engineering firm from Aurora, will do the repairs, which will cost about $15,000, Long said.

The well is more than 60 years old. In fact, Morrison has the third-oldest water system in northern Illinois. So far, neither it nor the well has had major problems, he said.

"I think it is a testament to the sturdiness of our system, but we do have a lot of outdated equipment that needs to be upgraded."

To that end, the city plans, within the next two years, to replace the well, build a new public works facility and upgrade the wastewater treatment plant and the water distribution system, all of which would cost about $8 million.

To pay for the project, water-use rates would need to be increased.

The first 1,000-gallon water and wastewater service charges would rise from $4.68 and $4.50 to $7.94 and $8.98, respectively. After that, additional 1,000-gallon increments would go from $1.45 to $3.81 for water use, and from $0.96 to $3.54 for wastewater service, if recommendations from consultants Baxter & Woodman Inc. of Crystal Lake are followed.

For example, the average residential customer uses about 5,000 gallons of water a month, at a cost of $24. The new rates would bump that bill to $46.

The City Council probably will vote on the rate changes by the end of the year, Long said.

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