The cost of living has crept up since Hurricane Katrina, and now something else in New Orleans could soon cost you much more: the water.

The Sewerage and Water Board has proposed a rate hike on your water bill and some customers are not happy about it.

Sewerage and Water Board officials figure they've repaired more than 45,000 breaks in the city’s pipes since the storm and it's breaking the department financially.

“We need to move away from patching the system and making major replacements and major repair,” said Marcia St. Martin, Executive Director of the Sewerage and Water Board.

To accomplish that, the board proposed a rate hike: the average increase per homeowner would raise water prices from $2.31 per 1,000 gallons to $2.69 per thousand. Sewerage and Water Board members said the average home uses between 5,000 and 6,000 gallons a month.

At a community meeting in Algiers Wednesday evening to discuss the rate hike, some accused the government of nickel and diming helpless homeowners.

“The people want to be here. They've got to live. The rent is up high. The water's going up, everything's going up high,” said one concerned citizen. “If they want to stay it, they're going to have to pay it, or hit the road.”

Board members said they haven't had a rate increase since 1984, while operating costs have skyrocketed. And while they were requesting FEMA money to repair Katrina-related damages, they think this increase is long overdue.

“We are looking at additional federal resources that's not related to FEMA to have additional funds to make major repairs that's not passed on to rate-payers,” St. Martin said.

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And after explaining the need for upgrading an antiquated water system, some still disagreed.

“She gave us a history lesson in there. We don't need a history lesson, we need help…It's way too much. It's way over the top,” said one man.

And while others joined the balking, most conceded that in a city where so many have gone and so much remains broken, it's likely that the few will have to foot the bill for the good of the many.

Another public meeting will take place Thursday night at 6 p.m. at City Council Chambers in City Hall to discuss the water rate increase.