Many cities across the U.S. will see big increases in water and sewer costs in 2026. If you manage multifamily properties, these changes can impact your budget in a major way.
Some cities will only see small jumps, but others have already approved large increases—some of the biggest in the country. Here’s what to expect and how you can prepare.
Several major cities have multi-year plans that raise rates every year. Many of these cities are seeing 5–8% yearly increases, with sewer rates sometimes rising even faster.
Cities with larger increases include:
Seattle, WA – Around 5–6% increases each year
Phoenix, AZ – Another 6.5% water rate jump planned
Oakland / East Bay, CA – 6.5% higher water and 8.5% higher sewer
Tampa, FL – 6% water increase and 3% sewer increase
San Francisco, CA – About 8% increases continuing
Other cities have steady CPI-style increases of around 2–4% each year.
For owners and managers, this means your utility bills will continue to rise—and so will your risk if you aren’t billing correctly.
Rising city rates can:
Reduce your NOI
Create uneven or unfair billing if not updated correctly
Make it harder to communicate increases to residents
Lead to more water usage when tenants don’t see their usage
If your billing system is outdated or slow, these problems can get worse very quickly.
If your property sits in a high-increase city, the best time to update your billing process is right now. With Livable, you get flexible billing tools, smart conservation features, and an easier way to protect your NOI.
What to see how simple it can be?
👉 Schedule a Discovery Call