Pinellas County Water Bills Rise Oct. 1 as Final Year of Rate Plan Kicks In

Pinellas County Utilities customers will see higher water, sewer and reclaimed water charges on their next bimonthly bill after Oct. 1, the fourth and final year of a rate increase plan the Board of County Commissioners approved in 2023. The change affects every household and business connected to county water and sewer service, not just new customers.

Under the new FY27 rates, residential customers will pay $4.19 per 1,000 gallons for their first 4,000 gallons of water and $9.51 per 1,000 gallons for anything above that. Non-residential customers pay a flat $5.76 per 1,000 gallons. The base charge for a standard 3/4-inch residential meter, the fee customers pay whether they use water or not, rises to $11.80.

The county says that base charge has climbed $1.25 every year since the plan began, and the volumetric rate for heavier residential water users is going up another $0.30 per 1,000 gallons this year. Sewer retail rates are set at $8.39 per 1,000 gallons with a $22.98 monthly base charge, and reclaimed water customers with an availability charge will pay $26 a month plus $2.56 per 1,000 gallons over their 15,000-gallon allowance. Certain other water, sewer and reclaimed water user fees may also shift, pending final approval from the Board.

Where the increases come from

Commissioners adopted the four-year schedule of incremental increases back in 2023, phasing in higher water, sewer and reclaimed water rates through fiscal year 2027 rather than raising them all at once. This October marks the last scheduled step in that plan.

Because Pinellas County Utilities bills bimonthly, most customers won't see the new numbers reflected until their next statement arrives after service periods that begin Oct. 1. The base rate is charged every billing cycle regardless of usage, county officials say, since it covers fixed costs of keeping the water and sewer system running around the clock.

Larger meters, common for multi-family properties and businesses, carry proportionally higher base charges, ranging from $29.50 for a 1-inch meter up to $944 for an 8-inch meter. Customers can look up their meter size and full rate schedule, along with proposed changes to specific user fees still awaiting a final Board vote, on the county's utilities rates page.

The county has not announced when the Board will take up those remaining fee changes, and it's not yet clear whether any further rate adjustments are planned once this four-year plan expires. Customers with questions about their bill or meter size can reach Pinellas County Utilities customer service at (727) 464-4000.

For more on how these rates were set, visit the county's Water Rates and Fees page. You can also find the full announcement on the Pinellas County news site.

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