The DeKalb County Board of Commissioners voted Tuesday to increase the rate residents pay for water once a year for the next decade. In a 5-2 vote, commissioners voted on a 10% annual increase to water bills,

The proposed rate hike aims to fund long-overdue repairs and replacements for the county’s aging water infrastructure. The discussion gained urgency after a water main break in Brookhaven last month left thousands without clean water for several days.

The DeKalb County Board of Commissioners voted to approve a plan to double residents’ water and sewage bills over the next 10 years, starting in May with an immediate 10% increase.