Jasper County PWSD #1 Office and Tower 1
Thank you for visiting our website
www.jaspercountywater.com Please note that there are a total of 3 Public Water Supply Districts in this area, so please make sure you are visiting the correct web page prior to paying through the online bill pay. We service the rural Northwest end of Joplin and the rural Carl Junction area. Thank you! |
WATER BILLING STATEMENTS Statements are typically sent out at the end of the month and are due in the office by the 15th* of the next month. A 20% late fee will be added to any late payments. If you do not receive a bill by the 5th of the month, please contact the office at 417-781-8844. *unless a different date is stated on your bill card |
THE OFFICE IS OPEN FOR BUSINESS
7:00 AM to 3:30 PM
Payments can be made by mail, via drop box, online or by phone.
We are also accepting credit card payments at this time
(a 3% convenience fee will be added to all card transactions starting Jan 1, 2022)
THE OFFICE IS OPEN FOR BUSINESS
7:00 AM to 3:30 PM
Payments can be made by mail, via drop box, online or by phone.
We are also accepting credit card payments at this time
(a 3% convenience fee will be added to all card transactions starting Jan 1, 2022)
ANNOUNCEMENTS
During a recent internal review of our water rate calculation software, we became aware of a miscalculation that dates back to 2019. When our annual rate increases were voted on by the Board and put into place each year, the rate table in our billing software was updated for the increases at the base level only. Meaning that the 0 - 1000 gallon rate was changed to reflect the rate increase, but each 1000 gallon increment was not. So, for the past several rate increases our customers have only been paying the increase on the first 1000 gallons.
So, we have had to bring the rate tables up to where they should have been with each rate increase by leaving the base rate the same (as it was correct) and by changing the incremental mulitplier to bring us current to the last increase in January 2025. You will see the correction on your September bills, which are from services September 15th to October 15th, due November 15th.
We understand that any increase in rates can be concerning, and we want to assure our customers that the adjustment is absolutely necessary. Not only for us to be able to provide safe and dependable water, but also for us to maintain our operations and commitment to our customers. We are held to a certain standard by our regulatory agencies, as well as all governmental agencies with an interest in helping us maintain, update, and replace an already aging infrastructure. The maintenance of our current water system often requires help from outside agencies, and that all comes at a cost.
We do apologize for any hardship this may cause and appreciate your understanding as we make this necessary correction. Our current rate tables, for residential and commercial may be found on the "Current Rates" tab located above.
And as always, please feel free to contact the office with any questions or concerns. 417-781-8844.
Thank you!
2025 RATE INCREASE - Effective January 15, 2025
As officers and directors of Jasper County PWSD #1, we are incredibly proud of the district. We can report some good things, but we also must find ways to correct some bad. We provide service to some 2,250 customers, most of which are homes that could not be there without rural water. As best we can, we provide this water at cost; no one makes a profit off our service. The district is a government agency, similar to a school district, and any excess income is used for emergency repairs, replacements, and rebuilding. These problems occur much more often in an older system than a young one.
Now for the bad news: our system is incredibly old. Experts rate useful life at 30 to 50 years (if one is very lucky). Our system is approaching 60 years old. Despite Herculean efforts, it seems we can’t fix new leaks fast enough. We are constantly losing roughly 70% of all water that we produce, which renders service exceedingly expensive. In the industry, any more than 10% loss is cause for concern. Additionally, we were the first rural water district in Jasper County, and the pipe that was used in those days (class 160) is not the same quality as that used today (class 200, a heavier gauge). This leads to one inescapable conclusion: we absolutely must undertake a considerable system rebuild.
We are consulting experienced experts in designing and financing such rebuilds, coordinating with state and federal officials and agencies that can help, and are conscientiously exploring long term financing, and low-cost loan and grant availability, all to minimize the cost and burden on the public. We will minimize price increases every way we can, but in this time of rising costs, it will be expensive. It is also, unfortunately, completely necessary. An increase of 15% is being implemented as of January’s billing cycle (January 16th to February 15th), and others may have to follow.
We provide this explanation so you know the district will be rebuilding, and rate increases will be considered as they are needed. Long term, low-rate financing and available grants will be utilized where possible, and this rebuild will take several years. It is the public that will ultimately benefit, but first the price must be paid. We wanted you to know we are dedicated to finding the best ways to do the job that has to be done. If you have any questions regarding this rate increase or future district endeavors, we encourage you to attend one of our board meetings or email the board directly at [email protected]. Our board meeting schedule can be found on our website, www.jaspercountywater.com.
PWSD #1 of Jasper County - Board of Directors
During a recent internal review of our water rate calculation software, we became aware of a miscalculation that dates back to 2019. When our annual rate increases were voted on by the Board and put into place each year, the rate table in our billing software was updated for the increases at the base level only. Meaning that the 0 - 1000 gallon rate was changed to reflect the rate increase, but each 1000 gallon increment was not. So, for the past several rate increases our customers have only been paying the increase on the first 1000 gallons.
So, we have had to bring the rate tables up to where they should have been with each rate increase by leaving the base rate the same (as it was correct) and by changing the incremental mulitplier to bring us current to the last increase in January 2025. You will see the correction on your September bills, which are from services September 15th to October 15th, due November 15th.
We understand that any increase in rates can be concerning, and we want to assure our customers that the adjustment is absolutely necessary. Not only for us to be able to provide safe and dependable water, but also for us to maintain our operations and commitment to our customers. We are held to a certain standard by our regulatory agencies, as well as all governmental agencies with an interest in helping us maintain, update, and replace an already aging infrastructure. The maintenance of our current water system often requires help from outside agencies, and that all comes at a cost.
We do apologize for any hardship this may cause and appreciate your understanding as we make this necessary correction. Our current rate tables, for residential and commercial may be found on the "Current Rates" tab located above.
And as always, please feel free to contact the office with any questions or concerns. 417-781-8844.
Thank you!
2025 RATE INCREASE - Effective January 15, 2025
As officers and directors of Jasper County PWSD #1, we are incredibly proud of the district. We can report some good things, but we also must find ways to correct some bad. We provide service to some 2,250 customers, most of which are homes that could not be there without rural water. As best we can, we provide this water at cost; no one makes a profit off our service. The district is a government agency, similar to a school district, and any excess income is used for emergency repairs, replacements, and rebuilding. These problems occur much more often in an older system than a young one.
Now for the bad news: our system is incredibly old. Experts rate useful life at 30 to 50 years (if one is very lucky). Our system is approaching 60 years old. Despite Herculean efforts, it seems we can’t fix new leaks fast enough. We are constantly losing roughly 70% of all water that we produce, which renders service exceedingly expensive. In the industry, any more than 10% loss is cause for concern. Additionally, we were the first rural water district in Jasper County, and the pipe that was used in those days (class 160) is not the same quality as that used today (class 200, a heavier gauge). This leads to one inescapable conclusion: we absolutely must undertake a considerable system rebuild.
We are consulting experienced experts in designing and financing such rebuilds, coordinating with state and federal officials and agencies that can help, and are conscientiously exploring long term financing, and low-cost loan and grant availability, all to minimize the cost and burden on the public. We will minimize price increases every way we can, but in this time of rising costs, it will be expensive. It is also, unfortunately, completely necessary. An increase of 15% is being implemented as of January’s billing cycle (January 16th to February 15th), and others may have to follow.
We provide this explanation so you know the district will be rebuilding, and rate increases will be considered as they are needed. Long term, low-rate financing and available grants will be utilized where possible, and this rebuild will take several years. It is the public that will ultimately benefit, but first the price must be paid. We wanted you to know we are dedicated to finding the best ways to do the job that has to be done. If you have any questions regarding this rate increase or future district endeavors, we encourage you to attend one of our board meetings or email the board directly at [email protected]. Our board meeting schedule can be found on our website, www.jaspercountywater.com.
PWSD #1 of Jasper County - Board of Directors