An updated water rate will help replace aging infrastructure and serve continued community growth.
The City of Sioux Center is considering a two-part water rate increase for 2023 and 2024 to help cover costs of ongoing community growth with new lines to developing areas, maintaining aging sections of pipe in older neighborhoods, system improvements including preparing for a third water tower, and adding quantity and quality of water to the local supply.
“Some of our water system pipes are very old and may have restricted flow conditions and are more prone to have leaks,” said Utilities Manager Murray Hulstein. “Sioux Center also continues to see residential and commercial growth, and our system has to be prepared to meet these needs to support growth.”
The addition of a third water tower in southern Sioux Center is being planned to help provide adequate storage for local growth and fire protection.
Blending Lewis & Clark Regional Water System water with local water has increased quality and available quantity in Sioux Center, decreasing water hardness to about 25 grains, which means customers can turn down their softeners and save on salt usage as well as water and wastewater use, Hulstein added.
Sioux Center’s proposed water rate increases are between 6-8% per year, depending on meter size. For the average residential customer using about 5,000 gallons per month, the increase will be about $2.90 each of the two years.
The third and final reading of the water rate ordinance is scheduled for Monday, May 15, at 4 p.m. as part of the City Council meeting. If approved, the water rate change will go into effect in late June, and customers will see it reflected on their bill on August 1.
The Sioux Center Water Department provides quality water to more than 2,600 customers, drawn from local aquifers and the Lewis & Clark Regional Water System, treated to exceed all federal and state standards.