A 6-percent increase in the utility tax paid by city water users outside the city limits was approved by the Langley City Council this week.

The action came following a second public hearing on the issue Monday night.

The tax, an average increase of about $32 per year for the 165 water customers who would be required to pay it, is designed to help compensate the city for providing hydrant maintenance and other services involved in fire protection.

The increase is a result of a recent state Supreme Court decision that a city must pay its fire-suppression costs from the general fund, rather than from utility fees.