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Ottawa city councillors passed a 6 per cent hike to the water and sewage rate in a unanimous vote Wednesday morning.

The rubber-stamped recommendation means an extra $34 a year for the average rate payer. And even though that may not seem like much for some household incomes, the recommendation is for similar hikes to happen every year for the next decade. It means the price of water in the city of Ottawa will go up by more than 73 per cent.

With light rail construction to start in the next few years, the City wants a head start on repairing aging water mains and sewers.