HOLTS SUMMIT — Holts Summit will have to raise sewer rates to connect to the Jefferson City wastewater treatment plant.
The massive project will add more homes to the sewer system and eliminate the aging Holts Summit plant.
To pay for the project, the city has secured a low interest loan from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, as well as funds from the Missouri Department of Natural Resources.
“This is not something that the city is deciding; this is something that has to be done for the USDA project,” City Administrator Hanna Lechner said during a Holts Summit Board of Aldermen meeting in May.
After reviewing local budgets, the USDA told the city to raise rates.
Currently, the average sewer bill in Holts Summit is $48.91.
“It’s similar to buying a house — your banker says to borrow, you need this much income,” sewer department superintendent Keith Edwards said.
Pending Board of Aldermen approval, on Aug. 1, rates will increase by $1.50 per 1,000-gallon usage. In April 2021, rates will increase an additional $1.50. The increase is being split into two phases to lessen the immediate impact on the public.
The aldermen will hold a public hearing on the proposed increase June 23.
Since the city announced the hearing, some residents have expressed opposition to the increase on Facebook.
To answer their questions and explain why the city is discussing rates, Edwards wrote a memo that has been posted on Facebook.
In it, Edwards explains the 48-year-old treatment plant has been in service in Holts Summit for 32 years. Because most treatment plants are designed with a 20-year lifespan in mind, the system is overdue for an upgrade.
Additionally, Holts Summit has undergone a substantial increase in population since the plant was moved piece by piece from its original location at another municipality and reconstructed in Holts Summit.
Half of the city’s wastewater already flows to Jefferson City already. Considering population growth and aging systems, the city cannot do nothing.
“It’s (the Holts Summit plant) done well, but it will not handle the whole town’s flow,” Edwards said.
To address the problem, the city has been working for years to secure the funding necessary to add more lines and connect the upgraded system to Jefferson City. After a lengthy effort, the city has finally been able to secure funding this spring.