MISSOULA, Mont. — If you’ve kept up with the city’s utilities, and it’s OK if you haven’t, then you know that after the city purchased its water utility, it has been playing some major catch-up in replacing infrastructure, some of which is around 100 years old.
And infrastructure is expensive.
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To address modern needs, the city has refreshed its wastewater and water plan, looking 20 years ahead to replace and upgrade infrastructure such as sewer mains and the wastewater treatment facility.
But all of that comes with a high cost that utility payers will have to help cover.
“I don't think it's going to be a big shock, but it's, you know, we are going to continue to have to raise rates,” said Logan McInnis, deputy director of utilities for the City of Missoula.
McInnis says that the plan addresses several key infrastructure needs, which will increase utility rates.
“The water mains are leaking. You know, there's things that we have to do with the wastewater plant, even just, you know, maintenance of old equipment, but also this sort of forecasted need to further reduce nutrients from the wastewater we discharge,” said McInnis.
Those wastewater plant upgrades are meant to get ahead of upcoming Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) requirements.
Once the city council adopts the plan, public works staff will begin studying how rates will be affected.
We’ll keep you updated as that process plays out.
