Pasco commissioners approve four‑year water, sewer and reclaimed‑water rate plan after public concern about high residential bills

The Pasco County Board of County Commissioners on Sept. 3 approved a four‑year water, wastewater and reclaimed‑water rate plan that begins with a 3.75% increase in 2026 and 4.75% annual increases from 2027 through 2029.

County staff and consultant Justin Grant of Stantec said the increases are part of a financial management plan the utility updates every four years and are intended to fund operating and capital needs, including large wastewater plant projects and new regulatory requirements. "The financial management plan for this 1 is a 4 year plan that begins with a 3 7 5 increase in '26 and a 4 7 5 increase starting in '27 through '29," Grant told the board.

The nut of the decision, officials said, is to close a growing gap between revenue and rising capital and regulatory costs. "Some of those added costs ... the state is making us do, which I'm not opposed to doing. It's gonna make the water quality better, but that's what's driving it," said a member of the public infrastructure staff during discussion.

Residents from the Wintree subdivision in Trinity and nearby neighborhoods told the board their household water bills have been volatile and often unaffordable. Margaret Walker described winter bills that ranged as high as about $500 per month in dry months: "As people are aging, it's getting harder and harder for our homeowners to afford these rates," she said. Wintree resident Leisha Spencer read a sequence of monthly bills for her household that she said rose from about $217 in February to $472 in May.

Board members and staff acknowledged the concerns and described two tracks of work: (1) adopting the advertised multiyear rate plan to meet immediate revenue needs and regulatory costs, and (2) conducting system assessments and due diligence on several privately owned or FGUA (Florida Governmental Utility Authority) systems so the county can consider acquisitions or other operational remedies. County administrator and utilities staff said they will study Aloha/FGUA systems and other private systems to determine cost and feasibility if the county were to take operations on.

Commissioners also discussed how debt and differing system sizes affect acquisition cost: Aloha (the largest FGUA system in discussion) carries substantially more debt and customers than smaller systems such as Lindrick or Consolidated, which affects the county's exposure if it assumes debt. "When those things are completed ... the utility would need to come back to this board and find that it's in the public interest via public hearing," said the utilities representative about any future acquisition decision.

The board voted to adopt the proposed rate structure as presented at the second public hearing. Staff said retail rate changes would be implemented later in the year with bulk rates effective Dec. 1 after required notices.

Residents asked for more immediate relief and transparency on billing, and some commissioners asked staff to prioritize the Aloha/FGUA system review and to return with a plan within months. The board did not set specific new customer assistance or bill‑relief measures during the Sept. 3 meeting.

Ending note: Justin Grant told the board the study compares Pasco’s planned increases with neighboring utilities and that Pasco has historically used measured, steady increases to avoid abrupt rate shocks; staff said the proposed schedule aims to balance affordability and funding for large regulatory‑driven capital needs.