Helena commission approves modest water and wastewater rate increases and updates to service fees

On Oct. 20, 2025, the City of Helena Commission approved multiple resolutions and fee updates affecting the municipal water and wastewater systems. The measures passed by recorded roll calls, each 5-0.

Director Leland presented the rate and fee proposals. For water the city proposed a 3.5% inflationary increase; for wastewater the city proposed a 4% increase. Leland told commissioners the increases reflect inflation and rising costs, and said the city did not receive a large ARPA allocation for wastewater as it did for some water system work. He said Helena’s combined rates remain comparatively low among Montana cities. Leland gave an example estimate for a typical residential account: roughly $1.72 per month more for water and about $1.40 more for wastewater at the proposed increases.

In addition to rate resolutions, the commission approved updated charges for services and equipment purchases that had not been adjusted since 2017; staff said meter costs have risen substantially and some prior meter purchases were subsidized by ratepayers. The adopted revisions move meter and specialized service costs toward a market-reflective charge passed to developers or purchasers rather than subsidized by all customers.

The commission also approved increases to industrial pretreatment and septic-dumping fees to recover sampling, treatment and program costs required under EPA-mandated pretreatment programs. Staff said the changes are intended to recover costs so the utility does not underwrite industrial or out-of-city septic disposal operations.

Recorded votes: the water rate resolution, the wastewater rate resolution, the charges for services/equipment resolution and the wastewater charge increases each carried 5 to 0. No public comments were recorded on these items during the hearing.