Half of Carroll County's eight municipalities have raised or are considering raising water rates to curtail excessive use and pay for the increasing costs of treating, storing and distributing water.

Mount Airy and New Windsor approved rate increases in the past two months, and town councils in Hampstead and Taneytown are looking at such a move. Though leaders from each town give different reasons for increasing the rates, all say it has become more expensive to provide water.

"And the longer you delay raising the rates, the more you pay in the long run," said Hampstead Town Manager Ken Decker, who projects that his town could end up $1.5 million in debt by 2010 if it doesn't raise rates now.

None of the town leaders said the planned increases were connected to the drought.

The increases in New Windsor have spurred the most contention, with some residents protesting the October council vote that immediately raised rates.

Residents used to pay $15 for the first 10,000 gallons they used and $1.50 for every additional 1,000 gallons. Now they pay about $120 a year to fund new infrastructure and also pay $2.15 for every 1,000 gallons they use. Many could see their quarterly water bills double or triple.

New Windsor is in this position because of plans to drill new wells and build a water storage tank and water treatment facilities.

The town also is paying a debt to the county for a water line extension approved in the 1970s.

"It's just something we had to do," Mayor Sam Pierce said of the increase. "We just can't continue operating the system without having some increases."

Mount Airy leaders increased rates hoping to discourage heavy use.

The town rations water almost every summer, but council members hope the increased rates for large-scale users will help eliminate the need for such controls.

Light users of the town water system probably won't see their bills go up at all, said Mayor James Holt. Instead, the Mount Airy plan, approved this month, created a series of escalating fees for heavier users.

The town will charge 85 cents per thousand gallons for use between 6,000 and 12,000 gallons. But it will charge $1.35 per thousand gallons for use between 40,000 and 60,000 gallons.

Residents haven't complained much about the changes, which go into effect in January.

"The reason is it really only affects the heaviest users," Holt said.

Hampstead leaders opened discussions of their planned increases at the council's regular meeting this week. The council could vote on new rates as soon as January.

The town is considering the increases in anticipation of new federal regulations that will require enhanced decontamination equipment, Decker said. Hampstead also must maintain an aging infrastructure as impact fees from new subdivisions taper off as the town's growth slows, he said.

The town hasn't raised its water rates since 1991, but the changes will probably affect large and small customers, Decker said.

Taneytown leaders were set to vote on increases this month until the town committee that worked on the rates asked for time to develop a better plan.

The proposal would have changed water charges from a flat rate to an escalating scale such as the one approved by Mount Airy.

Taneytown officials gave no timetable for the proposal.