Utility rate increases of about $10 per month for residential customers were approved by City Council in September and will begin January 1st, 2022.
Residents with 10,000 gallons of water usage and a winter average of 6,000 gallons will pay about $10 more per month, while residents with 5,000 gallons of water usage and a winter average of 3,000 will pay about $7 more each month. To learn about the winter average, visit www.sugarlandtx.gov/WastewaterCap.
The increase is a part of the Integrated Water Resource Plan (IWRP) adopted by City Council in 2019. The plan identified a need for the rates due to regulatory requirements and to secure long-term water supplies.
Residential solid waste will cost $20 per month – a 24 cent increase beginning in January. This change is based on a 1.25 percent CPI increase included in the city’s contract with Republic Services.
The city recently conducted a utility rate study that showed rates were not generating enough to support the ongoing needs of the system, and an increase was needed to support upcoming revenue bonds. The Capital Improvement Program shows $134 million in revenue bonds are needed to fund projects during the next five years.
The water utility is managed like a business – customers of the system pay charges based on usage and demands placed on the system which supports operating and capital costs with no support from property taxes. More information can be found at www.sugarlandtx.gov/2022Rates.