The Jefferson County Public Sewer District has scheduled a public meeting Thursday, April 30, on a proposed sewer rate increase for the Festus/Crystal City service area, which covers approximately 7,800 residences and business.
The meeting will take place at 6 p.m. at First Baptist Church at 107 N. Truman Blvd., Crystal City.
Douglass Bjornstad, district administrator for the Jefferson County Public Sewer District (JCPSD), said the increases are necessary to fund operation, maintenance and capital improvements identified in the district’s recent capacity assessment report and rate study.
Bjornstad said rate documents and supporting information are posted on the district’s website, www.jeffcopsd.org, under the “District News” section.
At the public meeting, Bjornstad said, a sewer district will explain the study’s findings, answer questions and listen to feedback.
Bjornstad said feedback from the public is unlikely to change the amount or timing of the rate increase because many costly capital improvements are needed and current rates will not cover those improvement costs.
“We have done a study to show what needs to be done in the future, a capital improvement study, and then we hired a rate specialist who's done work in the area,” Bjornstad said. “We developed a rate that's going to help provide a solid foundation for treating wastewater for the next 10 years.”
Bjornstad said the new rate may take effect as soon as the May billing cycle, depending on results from the public hearing.
He said residential rates for customers with a five-eighths or three-quarter inch meter have a base fee of $4.91 and it will change to $7.52, an increase of more than 53 percent. The base fee includes the first 1,000 gallons of water. The fee for each additional 1,000 gallons of water will also be changing from $3.62 to $5.23, about a 44 percent increase.
For customers using 2,000 gallons of water per month, that means an increase from $12.15 in 2025 to $17.98 in 2026. For customers using 5,000 gallons of water that means an increase from $23.01 to $33.67.
According to Bjornstad, the average usage of customers with a small meter is 3,238 gallons per month, which will bring a current bill at $16.63 up to $24.45, a 47 percent increase.
For more information, contact the Jefferson County Public Sewer District at 636-797-9900 or visit the district office at 4629 Yeager Road, Hillsboro. Office hours are 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday.