MOYIE SPRINGS — After several months of discussion over what to charge for the city’s sewer rates, the City Council approved a cost of $65 per month, with plans to raise them to $80 at a later date. 

At its May 6 meeting, the council approved the measure, which raises the current rates by $20 to $65 per month.  

The new rates will take effect on May 2026 sewer bills. A second rate increase, to $80, will occur after funding through the Department of Environmental Quality is completed. While there was no definitive timeline for when the rate would increase to $80, the council’s discussion centered on a period of four to five months. 

In addition, residential hook-on fees will increase significantly, from $700 to $2,500. 

The increase comes less than two weeks after an April 24 letter was sent to residents connected to the sewer system stating that the May 2026 rate would be $80. In the letter, staff said the ultimate goal is to bring rates down to $60 per month; a point reiterated at the May 6 meeting. 

The decision comes after a loan forgiveness request to DEQ was denied. The sewer system was created after the city’s original system began to fail and could no longer be certified by the state of Idaho. Completion of the project took over six years of planning, construction and coordination. 

The Moyie Springs sewer system serves 112 connections near City Hall but has the capacity to serve up to 200.  

Residents in the sewer service area are more likely to have lower incomes than the rest of Moyie Springs. 

As of 2020, about 91% of residents in the sewer service area were classified as low- to moderate-income, compared with 36% of the overall Moyie Springs population.