The Suffolk County Water Authority board unanimously approved a 3.75 percent rate hike Tuesday that will raise the average customer's bill about $15 per year.
Officials say the rate increase is all about covering costs.
The rate hike may not end there. The new state water standards set to go into effect at the end of the year will require water suppliers across New York to test for contaminants, including dioxane and PFOS. That means water suppliers will need to install new filtration systems. That cost could be passed on to the customers.
A public hearing was held before the vote, but the SCWA says no one showed up to speak. The water authority says the rate increase goes into effect on April 1.