Greenville Water Authority board members on Wednesday got their first look at the proposed budget for 2009, which doesn’t include any water rate hikes.

Authority Superintendent William Brady, who prepared the budget, said expenses are up but he’s not proposing any rate increases for water customers.

There is enough money coming in to cover rising costs because the 2009 budget reflects more revenues from customers’ water bills compared to this year, he said.

In January, customers got a 25 percent discount on their bills for having to deal with a 12-day boil alert in November 2007 after high levels of the parasite giardia were found in the Little Shenango River, the authority’s raw water source.

Expenses for 2009 are expected to be $1,006,879 and increased costs include employee benefits, utilities, office equipment and a 2.03 percent pay raise for the authority’s 10 employees.

Revenues are estimated at $1,399,740. Capital improvements are pegged at $545,400, with projects to include a new roof at the water treatment plant and water line upgrades.

The authority also plans to install a new tank in Hempfield Township that will store up to 1 million gallons of water and improve water volume for customers on the east side of the Shenango River. Authority members plan to apply for a grant to cover the $1 million cost.

Brady said a rate increase of 5.5 percent may be needed in 2010 to balance the budget. Rates have not gone up since September 2006, when there was a 5 percent increase.

The authority has about 3,400 customers, with large consumers paying $2.76 per thousand gallons and those using less than 8,000 gallons a month paying $5.26 per thousand gallons.

The average residential customer uses about 7,000 gallons every two months, which is a bimonthly water bill of $55.65, Brady said.

Board member Gary Beatty suggested that the authority consider offering monthly bills to customers who want it. It would help people budget their money better instead of paying a larger bill every other month and the authority can charge 50 cents to a dollar for the service, he said.

Brady said he’ll consult his employees who read customers’ meters.

The authority also agreed to move forward with the study of digging wells for ground water as a potential source. Moody and Associates Inc. of Meadville has done some preliminary research and the board wants more information on the best locations for drilling test wells and the costs and whether the Big Shenango River could also be a viable water source.