By Mark Woolsey

Marietta residents will be paying more for what comes out of the tap effective next month.

Marietta Water says it’ll put a 3.5 percent rate increase in place effective July 1. The utility says that means an average residential customer’s utility bill will jump by approximately $1.25 monthly.

The utility says the increase reflects The Cobb County Water System’s rising expenses related to wastewater treatment, maintenance of infrastructure and complying with changing regulatory  requirements. Those rising costs are passed through the Cobb water system to Marietta.

Marietta water says it’s committed to keeping water rates as low as possible while not sacrificing quality.