Commentary: The City of Cape Girardeau water treatment plant needs significant upgrades and many old water mains across the city need to be replaced. Voters will decide Nov. 5 whether to approve a water bill increase to fund these critical infrastructure needs.
"With huge federal and state elections on the ballot on November 5th, local Cape residents need to know about this crucial ballot issue that will impact every user of clean water in the city," said Mayor Stacy Kinder.
If the ballot issue does not pass, the City will continue with emergency repairs, but water shortages are likely and a quality decline is possible. Without investment, Cape’s water system will become increasingly less reliable and officials say that water conservation orders are likely.
If it does pass, most customers would pay an extra $8-14/month starting in January 2025. The increase would still keep the average water bill below the Missouri average. Funding from customer water bills for the City is earmarked specifically for the water system only, and cannot be spent on other purposes.
The election comes just a year after a water main break caused a boil water advisory for 5,700 households on Thanksgiving 2023. A main break shutdown Perryville Road recently, and the City has had multiple record-breaking advisories in the last few years.
The City switched from river water to well water in 2012. The source water became slower to treat only in recent years. In 2022, the City received an updated Water Systems Facility Plan, which identified several large projects costing much more than what current funding could support.
“We need to expand capacity at our water plant, but we also need to replace those high priority, deteriorating water mains before they randomly fail," said Kinder.
City officials are asking the community to learn more online at cityofcape.org/water, at plant tours, or to contact their officials. The website includes videos, a bill calculation tool, ballot language, and more.
Learn more at our upcoming plant tours (one hour) Fridays at 2 p.m. Call ahead to schedule 573-334-6747.
💧 Update Water Treatment - Replace critical infrastructure at the plant to continue producing high-quality water at higher volumes.
💧 Improve Distribution - Replace aging water mains and reduce main break frequency, replace old pipes.
💧 Keep Cape Water Safe, Clean, and Reliable - Increase $8-$14/month for most households
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the water safe to drink now? Yes! The change in source water caused the treatment process to slow, reducing production. We have a quantity problem, not quality.
Is something wrong with the source water? The water has been more challenging to treat. There are naturally occurring substances that develop in our source water, which the water treatment plant routinely treats to remove. Environmental changes have slowed down the treatment process, limiting the flow through the plant.
What happens if the ballot issue does not pass? Shortages would be likely, and a quality decline would be possible If voters decline the improvement plan and rate increase, we’ll still do emergency repairs. Over time, our system will become increasingly less reliable and we’ll need to consider water conservation.
How much will it cost? Significant improvements are already underway. During the next 8 years, the investment in plant and distribution improvements will be $56 million. Improvements expected to occur beyond 2033 total $64 million.
How much will my rates increase? Most water customers (89%) can expect to see a monthly increase ranging between $8.19 and $13.89 (based on usage).
Why doesn’t the City get state or federal grant money? The acceptable national standard Affordability Index (AI) for water is 1.0 percent. This means the average household using 5,000 gallons of water per month pays 1.0 percent of its income to pay the water bill. Various state and federal funding sources look at a city’s AI to determine if its residents are paying their part. The City’s current AI is 0.76, meaning our rates are too low to qualify for state or federal grants to help with our funding needs.
Nov. 2024 - BALLOT LANGUAGE
Shall the City of Cape Girardeau raise water rates and fees for the purpose of funding necessary improvements and maintenance of the water system such that during the current fiscal year the increase exceeds five (5) percent and shall Section 29-213 of the Code of Ordinances of the City of Cape Girardeau, Missouri, be amended establishing new water rates and fees effective January 1, 2025, resulting, based on current usage, in an increase in the current fiscal year ranging between $8.19 and $13.89 per month for 89% of water customers?
