MCWRD issues apology and clarification after water rate uproar
M.K. French
Farmer Staff Writer
Many county residents received a shock recently when they opened their mail to find that their water bill appeared to have tripled overnight without warning. A rate increase notice, included with the bills, sparked some confusion that has now been brought to the attention of the County Commission board. However, the McKenzie County Water Resource District (MCWRD) has swiftly taken steps to clear up the confusion, sending out a letter to residents and also providing comment to the Farmer.
The perplexity began after a January 1 notice from the McKenzie County Water Resource District (MCWRD) appeared to show base rates for a standard 5/8” meter jumping from $48.00 to as high as $144.00. The backlash was immediate, prompting a formal apology and a detailed clarification letter from the District on January 12. The District admits the initial mailing was flawed. “Unfortunately, the notice was not reviewed by a third party prior to mailing and, upon review, I understand that it may have been misinterpreted,” stated Kristy Roles, a representative for MCWRD, in the follow-up letter.
According to MCWRD Director Taylor A. Galeazzo in a statement to the Farmer, the primary source of the confusion was a misunderstanding of how the District’s three-tier rate system, which has actually been in place for over 14 years, was presented. Many residents believed they were being moved to the highest cost bracket automatically. In reality, the District clarifies that 99 percent of users remain in “tier one.” For a typical household using 3,000 gallons of water, the total monthly bill will increase by just $2.43, rising from $67.47 in 2025 to $69.90 in 2026. “The misinterpretation was that the increase is going from $48.00 to $144.00,” Galeazzo explained. She said that further misunderstanding stemmed from a simple source: limited space on billing statements. “The [tier system] is common knowledge for our office, and we did not think to include this information on the statements”.
For the full story, visit www.watfordcitynd.com and subscribe to the McKenzie County Farmer today!