West Warwick sewer commission adopts FY2026 wastewater budget, raises usage rate to $4.80 per 100 cu. ft.

The West Warwick Town Council, sitting as the Sewer Commission, voted to adopt Resolution SC-2025-17, the fiscal year 2026 wastewater treatment facility budget, which raises the sewer usage rate from $4.65 to $4.80 per 100 cubic feet.

The resolution changes billing calculations and several related fees. Bills will now be calculated using 90% of a property's water consumption rather than 80%. The minimum consumption used for billing purposes was reduced from 4,000 cubic feet to 3,800 cubic feet. Debt-service charges remain $120 per equivalent dwelling unit (EDU). The adopted budget states that minimum users should see a decrease of about $4 per year, the average user an increase of about $52 per year, well users an increase of about $15 per year, and a large property such as Royal Mills a projected decrease of about $900 per year.

Council members also added a provision to lower commercial pretreatment application fees for small, low-impact businesses. The budget document specifies an application fee of $100 for businesses that have standard restroom and sink facilities and do not store chemicals, reduced from the $300 fee charged to larger, higher-impact commercial users. Town staff said the reduced fee does not negatively affect NextGen's revenue projections for the wastewater fund.

The commission heard a brief overview from staff explaining the rate and billing changes before taking a roll call vote approving the resolution. No public comments were offered during the sewer budget discussion before the vote.

The resolution was recorded on the meeting agenda as SC-2025-17 and will be incorporated into the sewer fund rates and billing procedures for FY2026.