PIERRE — Pierre city water crews managed to complete a flushing project to scour the city’s water distribution system ahead of bringing a 37-million dollar drinking water treatment plant online. Warm fall weather helped get the project finished before Christmas and that same dry mild weather has construction of the plant ahead of schedule…
To pay for the voter-approved plant, water rates have increased eight-percent since 2019. Mayor Steve Harding thinks the plant will be paid off sooner than expected too…
The city will reexamine all of the city’s utility rates next year with a rate study to be conducted by Missouri River Energy Services. Harding believes that after this year, water rates will be increased only one more time by eight-percent to pay for the drinking water treatment plant. Pierre’s water system will be flushed again in the spring in one of the final steps before bringing the treatment plant on-line. It could take up to 60 days for the new treated Missouri River water to work through the city’s water system.
