Sikeston City Council approves increase of water, sewer rates

SIKESTON, Mo. -- Sikeston residents and business owners soon will pay more for water and sewer services.

The Sikeston City Council during a special meeting Monday approved preparing an ordinance to set new water and sewer rates Sept. 12 at its next meeting.

The ordinance will be passed as an emergency measure so the new rates will be effective Oct. 1.

The new water rate, an increase of 20 percent, will work out to about $3 more per month for an average user, which uses an average of 5,000 gallons per month, according to Ed Throop executive director of the Sikeston Board of Municipal Utilities.

And for a smaller user of about 1,500 gallons to 2,000 gallons per month, such as a home with only a single resident, the water will cost about $1.50 more per month, he said.

Asking the city council for a rate increase is "one of the hardest things I have to do," Throop said. "It doesn't matter if it's a small one or a large one."

Throop said maintenance costs for the water system are going up.

"Our infrastructure is getting old," he said. "We had a well go completely bad this spring."

"Having a wet summer helped prevent any water shortages but the cost for the new well was $125,000," Throop said, "and that's not counting the pump repairs."

He estimated there is more than $1 million in maintenance and repairs still needed for the water system.

Throop also advised the council that an increase in sewer rates is needed to cover the costs of making $4 million in improvements to the wastewater plant and industrial park lagoon required by the Missouri Department of Natural Resources.

The increase of 63 cents per 1,000 gallons OK'd by the council on Throop's recommendation will cost about $3.25 more per month for an average user putting about 4,000 gallons into the sewer while smaller users putting only 1,000 gallons to 1,500 gallons of water into the system should see their sewer bill go up about $1.60 per month, he said.

Pertinent address:

Sikeston, Mo.