Fall River City Sewer Commission adopts $32.8 million FY2026 budget, sets residential sewer rate at $8.43 per CCF

The Fall River City Sewer Commission on April 10 approved a $32,785,387 budget for fiscal year 2026 and set the standard residential sewer rate at $8.43 per hundred cubic feet (CCF), with the new rates scheduled to take effect July 1.

The revised budget and rate package were presented by Mr. Froehlich, a city staff presenter, who said the commission reduced the proposed budget by roughly $210,000—mainly by trimming capital spending and some personnel costs such as interns—after questions from the Fall River City Council prompted a line-by-line review. "When the budget was constructed originally...we removed some things from the budget," Froehlich said, describing the cuts that lowered the previously proposed rate increase.

The cut reduced the proposed standard residential sewer rate from $8.51 per CCF in the earlier proposal to $8.43 per CCF in the version the commission approved. Froehlich told commissioners the sewer rate increase equates to about $16.96 per year for the average household; when combined with the water rate increase discussed separately, he said the combined household impact is roughly $25.97 per year. Froehlich also said the sewer rate change represents about a 3.9% increase to the sewer rate and that the average household bill would rise by about 2.9 percent.

Commissioners approved the FY2026 budget, the residential sewer rate, and a rate schedule for other customer classes during the same meeting. Froehlich said there is no proposed change to the stormwater fee in the budget.

Froehlich described the budget as "pretty tight," citing recent market volatility and concern about chemical costs and supply-chain risks. He warned that if unanticipated costs arise during the fiscal year—such as higher chemical prices tied to tariffs or other supply issues—the commission might need to return midyear to consider options including a rate adjustment, a transfer from the general fund, or other funding sources. "If it's determined that it's needed throughout the year, we're gonna have to come back and we're gonna have to find out where we're gonna get that funding from," he said.

On operational constraints, Froehlich noted the utility's limited on-site chemical storage capacity and that while contracts are bid for the year, the city cannot stockpile bulk supplies beyond tankage limits.

The commission also approved the full rate schedule that applies to significant industrial users and households without water meters; Froehlich summarized that the significant industrial user rate would increase under the proposal (from $3.87 to $4.02 per CCF in the presented schedule) and that flat charges for households without meters would increase by the same percentage as the general rate.

The commission unanimously approved the minutes of the Feb. 26 meeting, the FY2026 budget, the $8.43 per CCF residential sewer rate, and the companion rate schedule. The meeting concluded after a brief other-business discussion in which an appellant indicated they would appear at a future meeting.

Next steps: the new rates go into effect July 1; the commission and staff will monitor procurement and chemical-cost developments and may return to the commission or city council if midyear funding adjustments are required.