March 28, 2024

Creston Water Works board approves rate increase

Despite opposition, Creston City Water Works (CCWW) voted unanimously to approve a 20 percent water rate increase during a regular Water Works Board of Trustee meeting Tuesday.

The meeting was attended by fewer than a handful of people from the public voicing opposition to the increase.

“We’ve had over 350 people lose jobs within the last two weeks, and I understand the financial situation that the board is in,” said Dave Koets, “but I’m just not sure right now that the community can handle that.”

The rate increase is an effort by CCWW to cover increasing costs of production, as well as distribution and infrastructure replacement and repairs.

“You don’t want to build new roads over old water lines,” said board member Ken Sharp. “A lot of our increase is just to cover these things that are coming up in the near future for us. There’s issues with the plant we have to address. We’ve put them off as long as we can. A lot of things snowballed here in the last 12-18 months.”

Rates will increase to $4.48 per 100 cubic feet for the first 2,000 cubic feet per month, $3.44 per 100 cubic feet for the next 6,000 cubic feet per month, $2.75 per 100 cubic feet for the next 24,000 cubic feet per month, and $2.20 per 100 cubic feet for everyting over 32,000 cubic feet per month. The minimum water rate will be $12.54 per month.

The increased rate is scheduled to take effect Jan. 1, 2018.