Queen Creek council opens 60-day process to raise wastewater capacity fees, sets Dec. 3 public hearing

The Queen Creek Town Council voted 5-0 Wednesday to begin a 60-day public-notice process to raise the town’s one-time wastewater capacity fees and to set a public hearing for 6:30 p.m. Dec. 3, 2025. Council members also set a proposed effective date of Jan. 5, 2026, if the increase is later approved.

The increase responds to projected growth and the need to expand treatment capacity, council and staff said. Deputy Town Manager and CFO Scott McCarty told council members the update follows state law’s “fair and reasonable” standard and that the new calculation reflects costs tied to planned plant expansions and other infrastructure needed over a 10-year planning horizon.

“The fee essentially is a little bit more than doubling,” McCarty said, summarizing the recommendation staff will post for public review during the 60-day comment period.

Why it matters: Town staff and the town’s financial consultant said growth — mainly new single-family homes — will require additional treatment capacity. The study projects roughly 14,600 equivalent residential units (ERUs) over the next 10 years; at an industry-standard estimate of 168 gallons per ERU per day, that demand equals more than 2.5 million gallons per day of treatment capacity. The current fee package covers an expansion…