Meters are read on the first working day of the month. Bills are based on consumption. The bill is only estimated if the meter cannot be read. Very few bills are estimated.
Bills are sent before the last working day of the month to arrive to customers on or before the first day of the following month.
FOR EXAMPLE: All meters were read on Tuesday, Jan. 3, 2023. They were read again on Feb. 1, 2023. Using those readings, the software calculates the usage for the month of January. Staff processes and verifies readings, and bills are printed Friday, Feb. 17. Bills are taken to Post Office for delivery to customers by the first of March. The bill received by the customer in March would be for January’s usage.
If payment for the current bill has not been received by the time of printing the new bill, the previous amount will be added to the total of the amount due.
A written agreement for an extension is available. The agreement needs to be completed in person and accepted before disconnection of water service. No agreements will be accepted after service has been disconnected. If the customer is considered a tenant, the landlord is required to approve the agreement.
IF YOU DO NOT UNDERSTAND YOUR USAGE, YOUR RATES OR ANYTHING ELSE ABOUT YOUR BILL, STOP IN AT CITY HALL DURING REGULAR WORKING HOURS, OR CALL 515-382-5466, AND WE WILL BE HAPPY TO GO THROUGH AND HELP YOU UNDERSTAND YOUR BILL.
We’ve explained the parts of the bill below:
Building a new Wastewater Treatment Facility is the reason for recent utility rate increases
There are several reasons the City was required to build a new Wastewater Treatment Facility. The current plant was built in 1960 and has reached the end of its life expectancy. There have also been new regulations adopted by the EPA/IDNR, our regulatory agency, that require new mandates for nutrient reduction and disinfection. The current wastewater facility is unable to accommodate the new requirements. No suitable land was available within city limits due to restrictions dictated by the IDNR for set back requirements and large enough space.
The current cost of the new Wastewater Treatment Facility is at $65,578,343.10. The City is working with the State Revolving Fund (SRF) to acquire loans to build the facility. The new plant’s operating costs are expected to be higher as well, due to one of the required treatments for the nutrient reduction strategy is ultra-violet rays, which will require more electricity. The SRF requires revenue to be at 110 percent of expenses.
The City has taken several steps over the last few years to reduce the impact to wastewater ratepayers:
• Used construction fees to purchase the property for the facility and other legal fees and costs
• Secured $500,000 grant funding
• Committed to applying $6 million in additional dollars from all funds within the City to save approximately $9/month for user rates.
• Worked diligently to secure interest rate reduction, the latest financing through the prior Disadvantaged Community Status eligibility, saving an additional approximately $6/month for user rates.
