Decatur Water Rates Going Up

Water rates in Decatur are going up, starting this June.

On Monday, the Decatur City Council approved the three-year rate hike, which will increase to 35 percent next year, 30 percent the year after, to finally 25 percent the third year.

City Manager Ryan McCrady said the changes are needed to upgrade water supply systems, and prepare the area for the effects of another devastating drought, like the one from last summer.

“The increase in water rates will fund necessary improvements for our water system,” McCrady said. “That includes dredging of the Lake, and also investment in supplemental water to make sure that we have more than enough water available during a worst case drought scenario.”

Another change is that water customers will be billed every month, rather than on a quarterly basis. The city has about 85,000 water customers in Decatur, Mount Zion, Harristown, and Long Creek.