DONALDSONVILLE - The price of using city water in Donaldsonville is going up. Thursday night, the parish council unanimously voted to increase the monthly rate to fund system upgrades.

The plan was first pitched in 2015 when the parish bought a private system. Now, those upgrades will come through this extra money plus another $17.5 million from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. 

Residents will see an average monthly increase of 39-percent in January of 2020. However, part of the hike will come as soon as June 1, 2019.