TRUCKEE, Calif. — When Truckee Donner Public Utility District customers turn on their tap next month, they can expect to pay more for the water that flows out.

On Jan. 15, the TDPUD board of directors in a 4-0 vote approved a 3 percent water rate increase for 2014 and 2015.

“The state’s drought was not a factor in the water rate increase,” said Steven Poncelet, district public information and conservation manager. “The water rates are increasing due to normal inflationary costs of operations, maintenance and the need to continue to invest in community infrastructure.”

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Under the new rates, a typical $70 monthly residential water bill will increase by about $2.10 to $72.10 in 2014, and by about $2.16 to $74.26 in 2015, Poncelet said.

The rates affect bills printed on or after March 15. The 2015 rates affect bills printed after Jan. 1, 2015.

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“The rate increase will allow the TDPUD to continue providing high quality water and a reliable distribution system to meet its customers’ current and future needs,” Poncelet said.

Six letters of protest out of the district’s 12,550 water customers were received, he said, citing that rates are high enough.

The last time TDPUD increased water rates was in 2010, which went into effect January 2011.

To view the new rates, visit http://www.tdpud.org/departments/water/rates-fees.