Some city water customers may not be aware that they are having to pay a government-required water quality fee in addition to the cost for pure water on their monthly bills.

But soon, many will become painfully aware because the fees on their water bills are going up.

Earlier this month, the Chattanooga City Council voted to raise the fee for most homes to about $115 a year.

For business property, it'll be worse. The fee for non-residential property depends upon the square feet of roof-covered areas, parking lots, driveways and other surfaces. The charge may vary from a few hundred dollars to a few thousand dollars!

Why? It's required to meet federal and state water-quality mandates.

County Mayor Claude Ramsey says the higher costs have some businesses threatening to move away, as we are trying to attract more businesses. Mayor Ramsey says he will confer with Chattanooga Mayor Ron Littlefield to see if anything can be done to alleviate the problem.

Mayor Littlefield said the problem has arisen from an "unfunded mandate" by state and federal governments that is seeking to improve water quality, but is hurting many homeowners and, particularly, some businesses.

We all want to avoid water pollution. But big cost increases in handling water runoff can cause serious financial problems.