Water rate increase set to begin Tuesday for Columbia residents
COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)
Water rate increase for Columbia residents is set to begin Tuesday as new fiscal year starts for the city.
The change will increase the current base fees and usage costs.
Base fees will increase from $12.00 to $12.48 and water rates will increase by around 4% for general use and 10% for summer and irrigation use.
Based on the city's Residential Water Bill Calculator, a Columbia resident who currently pays $31.02 for their water bill will have a $1.14 increase in charges with the total cost being $32.16.
Despite the increase, the city water rate analysis report says Columbia has the cheapest average monthly water bill compared to other mediums and large cities in Missouri.
According to the city's website, this increase will be used to maintain and upgrade water utility capital improvements as operation and maintenance costs have grown. This rate increase is also being applied to commercial water use.
The city's website details different projects that Water and Light is working on like restoring the capacity of the McBaine Water Treatment Plant, investigating service lines for lead and modernizing the West Ash Pump Station.
