Representatives from Illinois American Water and the Urbana-Champaign Sanitary District gave presentations to the Urbana City Council during their meeting Monday night.

Illinois American Water presented a plan for a new facility in Champaign County. A representative from the company said if the plan is fully approved, residential water bills will increase by $13.81 per month, or 46 cents a day for an average customer using 6,000 gallons of water per month.

“If approved in full, the cost of a gallon of water delivered to your home will be less than a penny a gallon,” the representative said.

The majority of the council’s questions did not hint at support of the new facility and the increase in water rates. Danielle Chynoweth, Ward 2, asked why Urbana residents should be paying for Champaign sprawl.

Mayor Laurel Prussing asked for figures on how much money Illinois American Water spends on advertising. The figures were not immediately available at the meeting.

The presentation by the Urbana-Champaign Sanitary District proposed a facility plan update detailing renovations and other additions.

The updates would be a $35.7 million project, requiring a 3 percent rate increase each year for nine years, beginning in 2008.

Brandon Bowersox, Ward 4, said the 3 percent increase is more acceptable to his constituents than the increase proposed by Illinois American Water.

Several residents also spoke before the council Monday night in support of recent discussions on historic preservation and demolition review to protect historic resources.

Alice Novak, adjunct professor in the department of urban and regional planning, said any discussion on historic preservation is healthy.

“It might be arduous for some staff to go through a demolition review, but it is so important,” Lisa Treul, an Urbana resident, said.