(KMZA)--Seneca’s water rates need to be increased.

City Administrator Matt Rehder made the recommendation to the City Council last week.

Rehder says the city took out debt in 2009 and 2011 to improve the water system, but the rates were not amended to pay for the debt at the time.

He recommended the city increase its base rate to pay for the debt payment which averages $86,000 a year and runs through 2028.

Rehder says if you take out the debt payment on their total expenses for the city, the current revenue is sufficient to cover the city’s needs, but with the debt payment the fund is depleting.

The Council asked Rehder to find out what the average water rates are in the state and report back to them.

The last water rate increase was in December 2014.