Sparta Approves Wholesale Water Rate Increase

Water rates for Sparta utility districts will increase later this year.

The Sparta board of mayor and aldermen have approved a 4-percent increase on wholesale water rates.

City Administrator Chris Dorsey said it’s part of a three year plan to increase water rates.

“We had a three year plan for water rate increases that were planned out due to the infrastructure improvements and things that were mandated at our water treatment plant,” Dorsey said. “It was to help pay for that and the normal rising costs for providing water.”

Dorsey said the board implemented another phase of the plan in October when it voted to increase rates for residential and commercial entities.

“Our goal is not to raise rates every year,” Dorsey said. “We basically had this planned out since 2015 to pay for the bond and indebtedness that the city went into in order to do the water treatment plant upgrades.”

If approved on second reading, the wholesale rate increases will take effect March 1st.

Second reading of the rate increase will take place during the February 7th meeting.