Marble Hill water, sewer customers face major rate increase

MARBLE HILL, Mo. -- Marble Hill city officials face a stark choice -- upgrade water and sewer systems and charge users more, or face fines from regulatory agencies.

The Marble Hill Board of Aldermen met with Elizabeth Grove of the Missouri Rural Water Association last week to learn how the Department of Natural Resources and the Environmental Protection Agency determine what Marble Hill's water and sewer rates should be, and the steps the city needs to take to bring water and sewer service up to standard.

Then the board and Grove met with several residents who came to learn for themselves what to expect from the city water and sewer department.

The city learned that it is charging about half of what it should for water and sewer service, according to DNR and EPA regulations. Until it raises the rates to the minimum allowed by those agencies, it cannot qualify for grants and loans to upgrade the system to bring it into compliance.

If the city doesn't upgrade, it faces substantial fines for being in noncompliance, fines that will be passed on to customers. Also, Grove said, if the city doesn't raise its water and sewer rates and become in compliance with DNR and EPA the matter could end up in court and the state could end up taking over the operation of the water and sewer system.

Marble Hill residents must vote to raise the water and sewer rates. No matter which happens -- a vote to raise rates or continued fines for noncompliance -- water and sewer users will pay more for the service to their homes and businesses.

Rate increases will be stair-stepped so that customers aren't hit with a large increase all at one time, said Mayor Michael Sowers.

The city is now in the beginning stages of the rate increase, and there are some options Sowers said the board can explore.

"There are a lot of things we need to do to make it as palatable as we can for the residents," Sowers said. "There are no good solutions to the problem right now. We're past that point and we can't go back."

As the situation develops, Sowers said, the city will hold other hearings to keep the public informed and to answer residents questions.

Pertinent address:

Marble Hill, MO