City Council approves water rate increase

The Nezperce City Council recently approved a resolution increasing the city’s water rate by $5 per month per account.

The increase is intended to provide additional revenue to help cover the Water Department’s ongoing administrative and maintenance costs. The department is currently underfunded, and the additional revenue will help the City prepare for anticipated repairs and improvements to the community’s water system.

Future needs identified by the City include replacing aging well pumps, replacing the communication line between the wells, which is more than 50 years old, and updating aging water lines before leaks or service disruptions occur.

These projects represent only a portion of the repairs and improvements the City anticipates will be necessary.

The City Council’s goal in making this adjustment is to provide more consistent funding for the Water Department, so money is available when major repairs or replacements are needed, rather than having to find funding after an unexpected problem occurs.