Pasco Water Bills Rise Oct. 1 as Second Year of Four-Year Rate Plan Kicks In

Pasco County Utilities customers will see a higher bill starting October 1, the second increase under a four-year rate schedule the Board of County Commissioners approved this fall. The average residential water and sewer customer using 6,000 gallons a month will go from paying $91.99 to $96.32, a jump of $4.33.

The increase comes from a Cost-of-Service Rate Study the county commission adopted on September 3. That study set a 3.75% rate increase for 2026, followed by 4.75% annual increases each year from 2027 through 2029. The plan runs through September 30, 2029, meaning Pasco households will see a rate hike land on their bill every October for the next several years.

County officials say the money funds operation, maintenance and replacement of the pipes, pumps and treatment plants that keep water running and sewage flowing across the county, including work tied to two wastewater treatment plant expansions.

What changes on reclaimed water bills

Customers on reclaimed water, used mostly for lawn irrigation, will see their own set of adjustments. The base charge and the backflow prevention device fee both go up, and the rate structure for reclaimed water usage is changing as well.

Commissioners heard concerns from residents about the size of their bills before voting to move forward with the plan. Staff have said the increases are needed because current rates don't cover the full cost of running and maintaining the system, let alone the capital projects already underway.

Bulk water customers, meaning other utilities that buy water or treatment capacity from Pasco County, are on a slightly different timeline. County staff have indicated bulk rate changes take effect December 1, after required notice periods, separate from the retail rate change hitting home bills on October 1.

A full breakdown of the new rates, fees and charges is posted on the county's utilities rate page, and customers with questions about their specific bill can look up the current fee schedule there before their next billing cycle arrives.

The county has not said whether the 4.75% increases planned for 2027 through 2029 could change if costs come in lower or higher than projected. For now, the schedule commissioners approved in September is what will show up on Pasco water bills for the next three years.

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