The City of Wall Lake will raise sewer rates at the beginning of 2025 to complete the first compliance phase for a new wastewater permit. Back in August, Wall Lake city officials received a new permit that stated the need to treat new contaminants. Chris Rodman, the city clerk, says the city council has been working on that thin line of trying to be reasonable to Wall Lake residents while ensuring following Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR) regulations.
Rodman says the engineer proposed doubling the lagoon’s size, updating the lift station, and lining the mains into one solid pipe to avoid leaks. That proposed project was estimated to cost just over $6 million and raise the sewer rates astronomically.
With the DNR extension approved, Rodman says a lot more research will be completed to ensure that the project will best serve the City of Wall Lake. The route that the city council has approved at this time is much more cost-efficient than the complete engineer’s proposal.
Wall Lake residents will see a $2.50 increase in prices for the first 2,000 gallons used to $13.50; anything over 2,000 will be $5 per additional 1,000 gallons. After 2025, prices continue to increase by $2.50 for the first initial 2,000 and by 25 cents for each additional thousand gallons used after. Customers will see an increase in their February utility bill, which is the month of January’s sewer usage.
