The Raytown Water Company

What The Raytown Water Company does

The Raytown Water Company (RWC) is a private Missouri corporation, founded in 1925, that operates as a regulated investor-owned water utility serving approximately 6,700 residential, commercial, and industrial customers in the Raytown, Independence, and Kansas City areas. The company does not produce potable water; it purchases treated water from the Kansas City Missouri Water Department (sourced from the Missouri River) and distributes it through approximately 69 miles of water main and four water storage facilities totaling over 2.5 million gallons of active capacity (Hydropillar Tower at 2,000,000 gallons, Gregory Tower at 250,000 gallons, Chapel Tower at 250,000 gallons, plus an inactive 50,000-gallon tower). All operational storage towers are equipped with telemetrics monitored at the company office. The transmission system comprises 16-inch through 6-inch PVC and ductile iron pipelines.

RWC's business model is built on regulated rate-of-return utility economics, with water rates established by the Missouri Public Service Commission. Core revenue comes from recurring monthly water service fees charged to residential, commercial, and industrial customers, supplemented by ancillary offerings including a Budget Billing level-payment plan, free ACH auto-pay, bulk water sales at $0.25 per 19 gallons, fire hydrant meter rentals, and yellow trash bag sales ($12/roll). Digital touchpoints include online bill pay via Official Payments Corp and customer management through VXSmart/Watersmart Software. The company is undertaking a $5,000,000 infrastructure upgrade program (initiated in 2021) covering approximately 125 projects to replace aging 2-inch galvanized pipe, with another ~100 projects slated for 2026-2031 pending MPSC Finance Order approval.

The company is led by Neal S. Clevenger, grandson of the founder, who has served as President and General Manager since April 1993. RWC is governed by a seven-member Board of Directors and operates from its owned 42,000 sq ft headquarters at 10017 E. 63rd Street, Raytown, MO. Headcount is 11-50 employees, reflecting the lean operating profile typical of a small municipal-scale investor-owned utility.

Name

The Raytown Water Company

Legal name

The Raytown Water Company

Website

https://raytownwater.net

Company type

Private

Founded year

1925

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Raytown Water Company is a regulated Missouri water utility, founded in 1925, serving approximately 6,700 residential, commercial, and industrial customers in the Raytown, Independence, and Kansas City areas through 69 miles of water main and four storage facilities, with rates set by the Missouri Public Service Commission.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Water Utility Services

NAICS

Water Supply and Irrigation Systems (22131), Water, Sewage and Other Systems (2213)

SIC

Water Supply (4941)

akta.pro primary industry

Water Supply & Wastewater Utilities Administration (BPAIACAG)

Keywords

• Water utility services
• Potable water distribution
• Regulated public utility
• Water infrastructure operations
• Residential water service

Headquarters

HQ city

Missouri City

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Infrastructure, Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Others

Revenue model

1. Water Utility Service Fees: The company generates revenue through regulated water service fees charged to residential, commercial, and industrial customers. Water rates are established by the Missouri Public Service Commission. The company periodically seeks rate increases to cover costs and earn a fair rate of return on its rate base.
2. Bulk Water Sales: The company sells bulk water at its office on a 24/7 basis at a rate of $0.25 per 19 gallons through a self-service facility.
3. Fire Hydrant Meter Rentals: The company offers fire hydrant meters for rent to customers on a completed application and deposit basis.
4. Budget Billing Plan: The company offers a level payment plan allowing customers to pay consistent amounts over a twelve-month period based on historical billings, reviewed twice yearly.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels1 record

Core offering

The Raytown Water Company is a regulated investor-owned public utility that distributes potable water to approximately 6,700 residential, commercial, and industrial customers across the Raytown, Independence, and Kansas City, Missouri areas. Water is purchased from the Kansas City Missouri Water Department (sourced from the Missouri River) and delivered through roughly 69 miles of water main and four storage facilities, supplemented by bulk water sales, fire hydrant meter rentals, and ancillary offerings.

Product overview

The Raytown Water Company operates as a regulated water utility providing water service to approximately 6,700 customers in the Raytown, Independence, and Kansas City areas of Missouri. The company's infrastructure includes four water storage facilities and approximately 69 miles of water main, with water sourced from the Missouri River through the Kansas City Missouri Water Department. The core product portfolio centers on residential and commercial water service delivery, supplemented by billing services (Budget Billing level payment plan and ACH automatic payments), specialty offerings (fire hydrant meters for rent, bulk water sales, trash bags), and an ongoing infrastructure upgrade program investing $5,000,000 to replace aging pipes and improve the distribution system. The company is governed by the Missouri Public Service Commission and has been in operation since 1925.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Residential Water Service Potable water service delivered to residential households in the Raytown, Independence, and Kansas City, Missouri service territory. Applications require a rental/lease agreement or proof of purchase; applications received by 12:00 PM during normal business hours may receive same-afternoon water connection. Rates are set by the Missouri Public Service Commission.
• Commercial Water Service Water service for business customers within the RWC service territory, requiring additional documentation including business type verification and backflow prevention certification per Missouri DNR requirements.
• Fire Hydrant Meters Fire hydrant meters available for rent to customers on a completed application and deposit basis. Availability should be confirmed by phone.
• Bulk Water Sales

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

Feature1 record

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Regional players

• Missouri American Water: A subsidiary of American Water Works and the largest investor-owned water utility in Missouri, serving customers across the state including the Kansas City region. Directly comparable to RWC as a regulated investor-owned water utility operating in overlapping Missouri geography, though at substantially greater scale.
• Iowa American Water: American Water Works subsidiary providing regulated water service in Iowa. Comparable to RWC as a small/medium-scale, rate-regulated investor-owned water utility operating in a Midwestern state with similar infrastructure and customer base characteristics.

Direct peers

• Liberty Utilities: A multi-state regulated water, electric, and natural gas utility with operations in Missouri and other states. Comparable to RWC as a regulated investor-owned water utility with small-to-medium customer bases and rate-base-driven economics.
• Middlesex Water Company: A small-cap, publicly traded investor-owned water utility serving customers in New Jersey and Delaware. Comparable to RWC in operating model, regulatory structure, and small-to-mid customer scale, though geographically distant.
• Artesian Resources: A small publicly traded water and wastewater utility serving Delaware and surrounding areas. Closely comparable to RWC in business model, customer count, and regulated rate-base economics, though operating in a different geography.
• The York Water Company: The oldest investor-owned water utility in the United States, serving south-central Pennsylvania. Comparable to RWC in operating model, regulated utility economics, and small-to-mid customer scale, with a similarly long operating history.

Others

• Kansas City Missouri Water Department: Municipal water utility that supplies RWC's raw water from the Missouri River. Comparable as a water utility in the same geography, but distinct in being a municipal (not investor-owned) system and functioning as RWC's wholesale supplier rather than a direct competitor.

Broad incumbents

• Essential Utilities: A large diversified water and natural gas utility with regulated and unregulated operations across multiple states. Comparable to RWC on the regulated water utility side, though materially larger and operating a broader portfolio of services.
• Veolia North America: A large water and wastewater services provider operating municipal and industrial contracts across the U.S. Comparable to RWC in water service delivery, though Veolia operates primarily through concessions/contracts rather than as a regulated franchise utility.
• Suez Water Resources: A major water and wastewater services operator with municipal and industrial contracts in the U.S. Comparable to RWC in water operations, though it operates primarily through municipal contracts rather than as an investor-owned franchise utility.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/135229146527973

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about The Raytown Water Company