Politics
Waco Caps Water, Sewer Fee Increases Starting 2027 Fiscal Year
The proposed ordinance would cap increases in city water and sewer fees for the 2027 fiscal year, directly touching monthly bills for Waco households.
How we reported this
The Waco City Council is reviewing the Utility Rate Stabilization Ordinance at its next regular meeting. The measure would limit annual increases in water and sewer service fees to no more than 2 percent for the fiscal year beginning October 1, 2027. City records show the change would apply to roughly 52,000 residential accounts served by the Waco Water Utility.
The proposal arrives ahead of the November 2026 municipal elections, when voters will select a mayor and several council members. Local budget documents released in May 2026 noted that utility revenues must cover rising treatment and distribution costs while state aid formulas remain unchanged from the prior biennium. Candidates have referenced the ordinance in public forums as one element of broader discussions on household costs.
Monthly costs for Waco households
A typical single-family home on the city system currently pays an average of $68 per month for water and sewer combined. Under the ordinance the same account would see an added charge of no more than $1.36 in the first year. For renters in multi-unit buildings, the fee adjustment would appear in the common-area utility line item passed through by property managers. Fixed-income residents in East Waco and North Waco neighborhoods, where median household income sits below the city average, would experience the smallest absolute increase.
City budget papers project that the cap would reduce expected revenue by $1.1 million over twelve months. To offset the shortfall the finance department has identified reductions in planned equipment purchases and a temporary deferral of two maintenance projects already listed in the capital improvement plan. These shifts would not alter current staffing levels or emergency response capacity, according to the same documents.
Public comment on the ordinance is scheduled for the July 15 council meeting at City Hall. After that session the measure could advance to a final vote or return to committee for further revision. If adopted, the rate schedule would take effect with the first billing cycle of the new fiscal year and would be reviewed again during the 2028 budget process.