by KYW's Mark Abrams

The price that Philadelphia residents and businesses pay for water is the next thing that's about to go up.

The Philadelphia Water Department is proposing to increase rates by 30 percent over a four-year period beginning in late fall. That translates to about $15 more a month for the average customer by late 2011.

Deputy water commissioner Joseph Clare says rising costs for everything the department does are driving the increase:

"Certainly wages and pensions and health care are big-ticket drivers for these. The other large pieces driving this rate increase relate primarily to the cost of fuel and treatment chemicals and utilities."

But Thu Tran, staff attorney for Community Legal Services, is contesting not only the size of the increase but the propriety of a phase-in of the costs:

"That makes it based on estimates upon estimates, because it's based on a forecast of what the water department needs in four years -- which is hard to predict."

Five public hearings on the increase are scheduled for later this month, on the following dates and times:

• Monday, July 21 -- North Philadelphia YMCA, 1400 N. Broad St., 6pm-8pm.
• Tuesday, July 22 -- Roxborough Memorial Hospital, 5800 Ridge Ave. (cafeteria conference room) 6pm-8pm.
• Thursday, July 24 -- West Philadelphia YMCA, 5120 Chestnut St., 6:30pm-8:30pm.
• Friday, July 25 -- JNA Institute of Culinary Arts, 1212 S. Broad St., 10am-12 noon.
• Thursday, July 31 -- Holy Family University, 9801 Frankford Ave., Campus Conference Center, Room 115, 6pm-8pm.