DAVENPORT, Iowa — 250,000 Iowans could soon see their water bill increased by 30%.
Iowa American Water, which serves nine eastern Iowa communities, has filed a rate request with the Iowa Utilities Board, driven by $157 million in improvements to water and wastewater systems from 2021 to 2026. Under the proposed rate increase, a typical residential customer would see their bill increase from $41 to $63 a month.
For commercial customers, their bill would increase by roughly $65 a month. Industrial customers would see their bills rise from $4,055 to $6,440.36 in 2025.
"There's just really never a good time to ask our customers to pay more for the service we provide, we get that," Iowa American Water Senior Communications Director Lisa Reisen said.
Reisen says improvements to water infrastructure are not unique to Iowa. "Aging infrastructure is a national issue," she said. "That Investment allows us to continue providing clean, reliable and affordable service to our customers."
The Iowa Utilities Board will review the case before making a final decision, which is expected in spring 2025. In the meantime, Iowa American is requesting a temporary rate increase to go into effect on Saturday, May 11. That increase would raise monthly residential bills by 11.4%.
Included in the rate review, Iowa American Water has proposed a customer affordability program that they say would reduce monthly bills by 20-80% for customers who qualify based on income.
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