Kalona residents will be paying for more water and sewer services starting July 1st.

The city council has approved a 3% increase to the flat rate fee for water and sewer which translates into paying an additional 72 cents per month or $8.68 per year. City Administrator Ryan Schlabaugh says the change will affect all users, “Across the board, it really doesn’t affect anybody differently. It’s a straight user fee across the board to everybody whether you’re a commercial customer or residential, small user, large user, it’s the same just on the flat fee.”

Schlabaugh says it’s the first rate increase for Kalona since 2007 and is needed to keep pace with costs associated with maintaining their water and sewer systems.