Everyone needs clean water. There’s no debate there. And if you live in Wheeling, we all understand the desire to have the water pollution control plant in Center Wheeling smell … well, like anything but what it usually smells like, particularly given its proximity to some businesses and homes.

But those necessities come with an increasing price, as city residents learned earlier this month when Wheeling City Council’s public utilities committee proposed a combined 38% increase on water and sewer bills for residents. That means the average household using between 4,000 and 4,999 gallons per month will see what is now a combined $73 monthly bill go to about $100.

That increase — again, this is for users in the 4,000 to 4,999 gallon range — amounts to $27 a month. For what the city conside

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