Louisiana wastewater minimum charge rises to $37.89 under 2026 rate ordinance

Louisiana, Missouri’s new wastewater rate structure took effect July 1, 2026, setting a minimum monthly charge of $37.89 for each metered wastewater user.

The charge applies to residents and businesses connected to the city’s wastewater system. The rate is tied to Ordinance 04-2026, dated March 23, 2026, according to the city’s wastewater user-charge code.

What the minimum charge includes

The $37.89 minimum includes two specifically identified sewer-related obligations. The city designates $3.06 for I&I study debt service and $5.04 for Georgia Street Sanitary Sewer debt service.

“I&I” is the designation used in the city code for the study-related debt-service allocation. The code separately identifies the Georgia Street Sanitary Sewer obligation; the approved source material does not provide additional details about either project or debt.

For customers, the $37.89 amount functions as a minimum rather than necessarily representing every customer’s total wastewater bill. The code states that actual user charges are based on current-month metered water usage, subject to that minimum.

What is known about the rate change

The effective date and minimum amount are stated in Chapter 715, the City of Louisiana’s wastewater user-charge system. The provision identifies the charge as $37.89 per metered wastewater user beginning July 1, 2026.

The city’s published code does not state the average customer’s total bill or provide the prior minimum rate. As a result, the available records do not establish the typical dollar impact for a particular household or business, and they do not support calculating a percentage increase.

The change is a wastewater user charge under the city’s rate structure. The approved records do not characterize it as a citywide tax increase.

What happens next

The new minimum is already in effect as of July 1, 2026. The approved source packet identifies no later deadline, scheduled review or additional action connected to the rate provision.

The code also does not clarify whether the minimum applies identically to every customer class beyond its stated application to metered wastewater users. For now, the confirmed practical change is that metered users of Louisiana’s wastewater system face a $37.89 monthly floor, with portions of that charge allocated to the two listed sewer-related debt obligations.