Springfield’s city-owned utility is seeking a water rate increase for the first time in more than a decade.

It’s 32 percent.

During Tuesday’s budget hearing, Ald. Jennifer Notariano tried to talk CWLP down. “I look at this as a negotiation, right?” she said. “32 percent is your opening offer for rate increases. So what’s the minimum rate increase that we can have that will get the most important things done that will put the least stress on ratepayers?”

“We were in need of money anyway,” said the city’s chief utility engineer, Doug Brown, “and now we have regulatory pressures such as the lead line service replacements breathing down our necks. We have to take care of that infrastructure as well. We don’t have a choice .We have to do it.

“The majority of the money is going into lead service lines. Let’s face it. There is no backing off of that.”

Tuesday capped off the city’s budget hearings. The council members will throw in their ideas before a final budget vote, expected Feb. 20.