AURORA - The city council wants to change how residents pay for their water after fielding complaints from people who have seen their bills skyrocket this summer.

One Aurora resident said his August bill was $1,032.

"It's more than my mortgage," said Larry Pomarico, who lives in the Cherry Creek Rancho subdivision.

On the heels of complaints from constituents such as Pomarico, council members discussed Monday changing a rate structure implemented in January that charges people for water based on four usage blocks.

At the highest block, residents are charged $10.75 per thousand gallons of water.

A series of rate increases are helping pay for the Prairie Waters Project, which is expected to boost the city's water supply by about 20 percent by late 2010. The project will bring 10,000 acre-feet of water from wells along the South Platte River through 34 miles of pipeline and three pump stations to Aurora Reservoir.

But the rate structure has had "unintended consequences" on water bills, said Mayor Ed Tauer, who added that every council member has had constituents contact them about the issue.

Council member Bob Broom introduced an ordinance Monday to eliminate the highest rate block by Jan. 1. The council will vote on the proposal in two weeks.

Some council members questioned whether doing away with the highest block would bring the intended relief because most residents never reach that level of water usage.

Council member Ryan Frazier suggested changing the baseline for the rate system.

"I think what you saw here tonight was a city council that has felt the heat from its constituents," he said.