The Pella City Council will consider an additional increase to the water rate as part of $16 million in improvements to the water system.
City Administrator Mike Nardini says the city intends to incrementally increase the bills to cover the financing required for a new Jordan aquifer well, a reverse osmosis treatment plant, and an upgrade water main and sewer line. He says rates following any changes would remain competitive with neighbors and similar-sized cities.
“We thought the overall increase with the water rates was somewhere between 20 and 30 percent,” Nardini says about the initial planning process. “It’s very important to understand, overall, all-told, when it’s slowly phased, we believe the average additional cost to the consumer and citizens in Pella is $7 to $8 a month.”
The proposed seven percent increase this year will come before the city council sometime in the next few months.