The Maryville city council adopts the first of two water rate increases of 50 percent to generate the required revenue to replace the city's water treatment plant.
The council's November 9th meeting had a separate vote to increase sewer rates by two percent in 2027.
Both increases followed the council hiring an outside company in October 2025 to conduct rate studies.
A city document says individual water customers inside the city of Maryville, depending on consumption, will pay an additional $3.16 to $449.37 per month.
The city document says individual water customers outside the city of Maryville, depending on consumption, will pay an additional $4.73 to $174.24 per month.
Dakota Oswalt of the Northwest Missourian, who attended the November 9th council meeting, reported while more than 80 percent of Maryville residents approved funding for a new water treatment plant last year, not everyone who voted in favor realized it meant an increase to their water bills.
City Manager Ryan Heiland said the first rate increase, starting in January, is to satisfy a state loan for the new plant. The 20-year loan requires the city to generate revenue of at least 110 percent of operational and maintenance costs. The loan also requires a second rate increase of 50 percent in January of 2028.
The twin rate increases apply to customers inside the city of Maryville and customers of the Nodaway County rural water district.
The council heard from a public speaker, Kim Swyers, who said she does not remember voting for a 20-year repayment schedule that causes rate increases. She said the increase in rates can create hardships for people in rural areas and those on fixed incomes or young families. She urged the council to move forward with a 30-year repayment schedule instead.
Councilwoman Erin Allen said she does not blame customers and residents for being upset. But Allen also said city staff and the council worked hard to come up with a solution for a difficult problem. She said a new water plant is needed no matter what, and this is how it has to be.
Assistant Finance Director Cheyenne Murphy said city customers can go to the new website maryvillewater.org to help eliminate confusion and to calculate their new water rates.
The city of Maryville owns and operates, through contractual arrangements, water and wastewater utilities serving approximately 12,000 residents across roughly 4,300 water and wastewater connections. The city has approximately 73 miles of water distribution lines, 57 miles of sanitary sewer lines, 10 sanitary sewer lift stations, a wastewater treatment plant, and a water treatment plant.
Groundbreaking of Maryville's new water treatment plant, which will be built next to the existing facility on the city's east side along Highway 136 next to the 102 River, is scheduled for November 23rd at 3:00 p.m.
