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North Kansas City residents will have to pay more for water and sewer services starting this year.

Water rates are proposed to increase 6.1 percent from 2009 rates and sewer rates will go up 9.5 percent this year.

A public hearing will be held Tuesday, Feb. 23, and the council will consider the ordinance with the new rates at that time.

The proposed five-year rate increase came after a study was conducted in 2009 of the city’s water and sewer system.

"What we found in the rate study in 2009 was that rate increases are needed in both water and sewer services to fund current operations, to maintain adequate fund balance and to provide an adequate revenue stream for short- and long-term capital improvements," said Public Works Director Pat Hawver.

An average household that uses 5,000 gallons of water per month will see an increase in its water charge from $17.11 in 2009 to $18.16 in 2010. Sewer rates will increase from $15.02 to $16.44 for an average household.

By 2014, when the five year rate increases are complete, water rates for the same average household are expected to be $22.37 for water per 5,000 gallons and $22.23 for sewer charges, according to a memo from Hawver.

Rate adjustments will be made to compensate for too much or too little revenue.

The water service increases are expected to help fund a systemwide water line improvement project that is estimated to cost $3.3 million, Hawver said. The large capital improvement project was recommended in a water system master plan laid out for the city in 2008.

Hawver said engineering for the project began last year.

With sewer service increases, Hawver said North Kansas City will begin to prepare for Kansas City’s planned rate hikes, which are expected to be approximately 15 percent annually.

Because Kansas City treats North Kansas City’s sewer water, the rate increases will affect what North Kansas City residents will have to pay for sewer services.

In addition to preparing for Kansas City’s rate increases, North Kansas City’s sewer lateral rehabilitation project will continue on aging sewer lines. The project will greatly reduce the amount of storm water infiltration in the system that has to be treated by Kansas City, according to Hawver.

PROPOSED RATE INCREASES

These proposed water and sewer rate increases are based on usage of 5,000 gallons per month.

Year       Water       Sewer

2010     $18.16      $16.44

2011     $19.20      $17.94

2012     $20.26      $19.37

2013     $21.31      $20.80

2014     $22.37      $22.23

Source: city memo from Public Works Director Pat Hawver

Staff writer Meagan O’Donnell can be reached at 389-6606 or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

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