Kentwood water and sewer rates rise for about 8,500 households

About 8,500 Kentwood households west of Breton Road are facing higher water and sewer bills after a rate increase approved by the Kentwood City Council, according to FOX 17. The first increase took effect July 1, 2026.

The affected households receive water service through the City of Wyoming. For that Wyoming-served area, the commodity rate is increasing from $4.20 to $4.58 per unit. A second increase is scheduled for January 2027, when the rate is expected to rise to $4.99 per unit.

Who is affected

The increase does not apply to every Kentwood resident. It affects households west of Breton Road that receive water service through Wyoming’s regional system.

Residents elsewhere in Kentwood should check which water system serves their property before assuming this specific rate change applies to their bill.

What it means for bills

FOX 17 reported that the two-step change represents an overall increase of about 18%. The city estimates that an average affected household will pay approximately $15.75 more per quarterly billing cycle, or about $63 more per year.

Those are estimates, not a guaranteed increase for every customer. Actual costs will vary with household water use and the charges included in a customer’s bill.

Why the rates are increasing

Kentwood Finance Director Kayla Garcia told FOX 17 that costs connected to regional water infrastructure in Wyoming are being passed through to customers in the Wyoming-served portion of Kentwood. She also said the increases are needed to maintain reliable water and sewer infrastructure as demand and regional-system costs change.

The city phased in the increase over two steps instead of applying the full change at once. The first step began July 1, 2026. The second step is scheduled for January 2027 and had not yet been charged as of August 2, 2026.

Regional utility context

The City of Grand Rapids’ 2025 final water and sewer rate study shows that Kentwood participates in a regional utility framework serving multiple customer communities. The study says rates are calculated using community operating and capital costs, customer usage and other system requirements. It also lists Kentwood-specific regional rates effective January 1, 2026.

That study provides background on the regional rate-setting system, but it is not the direct approval record for Kentwood’s July 2026 increase. The July and January rate changes described here come from the Kentwood action and the exact-market reporting by FOX 17.

Affected residents should check whether their property is west of Breton Road and served through Wyoming, then review the next quarterly bill for the updated commodity charge. Households outside that service area may not be affected by this specific increase.

Sources

• FOX 17 report on Kentwood water and sewer rate increases
• City of Grand Rapids 2025 Final Water & Sewer Rate Study