Water, solid waste, stormwater rates to see increases

Water, solid waste, stormwater rates to see increases

Published on September 29, 2026

The new year will bring several rate and fee increases that residents will see on their monthly utility bills.

Water and wastewater rate increases

Water and wastewater rates are increasing Jan. 1. 2027. The rate increases impact both the volume and fixed monthly service charges for all water and wastewater customer classes.

Residential volume rates will see increases to only Tiers 3 and 4, where irrigation usage predominates. To maintain affordability, no change is proposed to the residential volume rate for Tiers 1 and 2, where water is used for domestic purposes, such as cleaning and cooking. The recommended increases to residential rates for Tiers 3 and 4 are intended to send a stronger conservation pricing signal on irrigation usage.

The impact on individual residential customers will vary based on their monthly water use. The average residential customer's monthly water and wastewater bill will increase by $1.32. The average residential customer uses 9.45 CCF (7,069 gallons) of water and discharges 5.95 CCF (4,450 gallons) of wastewater per month.

Solid waste fund

Residents with an active water account will see an increase in the garbage rates. Based on the household's garbage cart size, residential rates are as follows:

Rates cover multiple disposal services including garbage, recycling, yard waste and bulk waste collections, as well as access to the City's four Drop-Off Stations and Environmental Collection Center. This will be reflected on residents' monthly water bills as Sanitation/Solid Waste Fees. Commercial garbage rates are based on 96-gallon carts and vary depending on frequency of service.

Environmental protection fee

Residents with an active water account will see an increase in the environmental protection fees. Based on the account type, residential fees are as follows:

Fees cover multiple environmental services, including illegal dumping and illegal campsite cleanups, litter-control and street sweeping, and contracted litter abatement crews. This will be reflected on residents' monthly water bills as Environmental Protection Fees. Commercial, Industrial, and Non-Profit/Municipal accounts will also see an increase in fees based on account type.

Stormwater rate increase

City Council approved a 5% Stormwater Utility fee increase for Fiscal Year 2027 to further help fulfill the Stormwater Program's mission to "Protect People and Property from Harmful Stormwater Runoff."

The additional revenue from this increase will benefit the community through:

• Improved performance of private stormwater facilities. Increasing inspections from 190 to 300 sites annually provides increased oversight and support to property owners, ensuring private drainage systems work properly, in turn improving drainage, reducing localized flooding and improving neighborhood safety and aesthetics.

• Increased management of City-engineered channels. Expanding inspections from 15 to 20 miles each year strengthens flood protection by improving the identification and prioritization of maintenance and capital improvement needs, which results in more reliable drainage, fewer emergency repairs and long-term cost savings for residents.

• Safer neighborhoods through targeted mid-sized flood improvements. Mid-sized flood mitigation projects, which will typically range between $1 million and $15 million, improve public safety by reducing the risk of flooding, improving protection to homes, businesses and infrastructure.

• Expanded partnership opportunities for community benefits. Increasing dedicated partnership funding allows the Stormwater Program to participate more in projects led by other City departments, agencies and/or developers, which can benefit residents through flood reduction, extending the life of existing stormwater assets and avoiding future retrofit costs. Partnership projects can minimize disruptions to residents because combined projects can address multiple issues at once, such as coordinated improvements to street, water and drainage infrastructure, rather than performing multiple separate projects in the same neighborhood.

• View(PDF, 7MB) to learn more about the benefits to the community and impacts to rate payers.
• View(PDF, 2MB) to read Frequently Asked Questions about the proposed fee increase.

All the above information on the approved FY27 fee increase and more about rates and the Stormwater utility in general can be found online. https://bit.ly/4q2qjWg

Other rate and fee increases

A comprehensive list of fee and rate changes approved by the City Council can be found online.

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