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Water department outlines FY26 plan: 9% proposed rate increase, lead‑service program and SCADA upgrade
Summary
City water officials told councilmembers on April 22 that they plan a 9% rate increase for FY26, are implementing lead service line inventory and a private lead service line replacement pilot, and awarded a SCADA upgrade contract.
Christopher Lester, director of the City of Dubuque water department, presented the department’s fiscal‑year 2026 budget to the council and described priorities including regulatory compliance, lead service‑line replacement, a SCADA upgrade and plans to advance a deep well as a PFAS mitigation measure.
Lester said the department serves more than 24,000 customers with 27 full‑time employees and manages a distribution network of roughly 330 miles. The presentation noted a proposed 9% water rate increase for FY26; staff estimated that for an average Dubuque household using about 6,000 gallons per month the increase would be approximately $3.60 per month, raising the average monthly bill to about $42.58.
On regulatory work, staff described…
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