Under its finalised 2008 to 2013 Water Plan, GWMWater hopes to raise revenue by 3.6 per cent each year from 2009 to 2013.

Urban customers will face a proposed price increase of 3.6 per cent each year until 2013 while rural, domestic and stock customers will pay 1.2 per cent extra each year.

The planned price rises do not include the consumer price index.

GWMWater has retained its plan for a 14.3 per cent plus consumer price index rise in the first year of the five-year plan.

The water plan has been submitted to the Essential Services Commission for approval.

Jeparit and Natimuk residents have said they would be happy to pay a higher price if their water was upgraded to potable quality.

Sunnyside Cafe owner Debbie Dryburgh said she did not think Jeparit residents should pay the proposed price increases under the water plan because the water was of poor quality and had not improved since Jeparit had been connected to the pipeline.

She said Jeparit water quality did improve a couple of weeks ago. However Mrs Dryburgh said it was becoming worse.

"Initially for about a week, after the story in the Mail-Times, it was really good.

"It's been steadily getting worse," Mrs Dryburgh said.

She said a smell had returned but only certain parts of the town were affected.

Jeparit connected to the pipeline on January 31.

"Now we are hooked to the pipeline we thought that would mean a big improvement, but it hasn't," she said.

"They're going to charge more money for something that's not going to be better quality."

GWMWater communications manager Helen Friend said Jeparit's water supply was coming from a mix of pipeline and town storage water.

"The water was being drawn from the urban water supply but it should be starting to be predominantly pipeline water," Mrs Friend said.