Council adopts new sewer-rate structure, moves to consumption-based billing and funds two new sewer employees
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Summary
Port Orchard council approved an ordinance revising bimonthly sewer rates and moving toward a winter‑consumption model for nonresidential accounts; council directed rates to fund two additional sewer enterprise employees recommended in the 2025 General Sewer Plan.
The Port Orchard City Council on Wednesday adopted an ordinance amending the municipal code to update bimonthly sewer rates and the sewer‑rate structure for fiscal years 2026 through 2030. Council members said the new structure simplifies tiers and shifts nonresidential charges toward measured winter consumption, and staff said the rate adjustment will fund two new sewer enterprise positions recommended by the city’s 2025 General Sewer Plan.
Finance and utilities staff presented a rate study by FCS Group that identified a need for roughly 3.5% annual increases through 2030 to meet forecasted expenses; factoring in two additional sewer FTEs raised the revenue requirement to approximately 4.5% per year. The ordinance the council adopted incorporates the higher revenue need and carries an effective date of Jan. 1, 2026.
At the council meeting Councilor Turner made the motion to approve the ordinance, which was seconded by Council Member Morrissey. “I move to approve an ordinance adjusting the sewer rates and sewer rate structure as presented,” Turner said. After discussion and questions about measurement and annual re‑evaluation, the council voted to approve the ordinance by voice vote; members heard staff say recruitment for the two positions could begin once the budget is adopted and that initial hires might be in the first quarter after budget approval.
Key operational changes described by staff include using winter‑month water consumption averages to derive equivalent residential units (ERUs) for nonresidential customers (to exclude irrigation effects) and simplifying customer classes so residential customers see smaller relative rate changes while higher‑impact commercial users — such as restaurants and the county jail — will be billed based on measured winter consumption.
Council discussion stressed process and customer protections: staff said change‑of‑use applications will trigger re‑evaluation of ERUs and that the city will perform annual reviews and communicate adjustments to customers.
Why it matters: Moving to a consumption‑based model aligns sewer billing more closely with actual system impact, shifts more costs to high‑use commercial accounts and creates revenue to hire two sewer maintenance/staffing positions the general sewer plan identified as necessary to reduce deferred maintenance and meet growth demands.
