Last week the Missouri Public Service Commission (PSC) issued new water and sewer rates for Missouri American Water. As part of the rate order, the PSC approved the consolidation of the Platte County water district with Brunswick and St. Joseph. The consolidation is estimated to result in an average 27 percent rate decrease for local residential water customers. Missouri American Water serves 7,500 customers in its Platte County water district, including approximately 2,000 residences in Parkville.
The City of Parkville cooperated with the City of Riverside to advocate to the PSC for reduced water rates in Platte County, specifically by means of consolidation with other water districts. The announcement from the PSC is an important victory for the City of Parkville and local water customers. The rates will become effective no earlier than June 25, 2016. Missouri American Water is still analyzing the exact rate impact for each type of customer, and the City of Parkville will share the information as soon as it is available.
Mayor Nan Johnston said, “Higher than average water rates have been an issue for Parkville residents for many years. I am pleased that through the efforts of our staff, elected officials and legal counsel in support of water district consolidation, the Missouri Public Service Commission did finally agree to the consolidation, resulting in significant savings to our residents.”
As part of the intervention filed in the rate case, the cities of Riverside and Parkville also asked the PSC and Missouri American Water to address water quality issues reported by local residents. The company responded by installing a new carbon dioxide system that became operational on May 24, 2016. The system lowers the pH of the water without increasing hardness, making the water more stable. Without this system, the alternative to control the pH would be to reduce lime in the water. However, this would have the unintended negative consequence of increasing hardness levels in the water, which could lead to more particles in customer homes. (Note: The particle issue does not impact the safety of drinking water. The water delivered meets all state and federal guidelines for drinking water).
Mayor Johnston added, “We continue working with Missouri American Water on the water particle issue, and I’m pleased to hear that the new carbon dioxide system has been completed. We believe this upgrade will eventually result in a reduction of sediment.” The new system will be included as part of the design for the new water treatment plant in Parkville which is set to break ground later this year.
For more information, contact City Administrator Lauren Palmer at (816) 741-7676.
