A 4 percent rate increase for water and sewer Emerald Coast Utilities Authority customers goes into effect Monday. The increase amounts to an additional $1.02 for water customers with an average usage of 6,000 gallons of water per month, and a $1.31 for a sewer customer who uses an average of 4,600 gallons per month. The average ECUA customer currently pays $26.58 for water and $32.93 for sewer. The board also voted to amend the sanitation budget that will increase garbage collection rates by 5 percent and add a $1.50 capital improvement fee to garbage collection bills. Board members Dale Perkins and Vicki Campbell voted against both proposals.