Portland utility bills rise after new water, sewer and stormwater rates take effect

Portland customers are beginning to see higher water, sewer and stormwater charges after rate changes took effect July 1, 2026. Many customers will receive their first full billing-period impact in August, although the timing depends on each account’s billing cycle.

The city estimates that the combined rate changes will increase a typical single-family residential utility bill by 6.36%, or about $10.20 per month. That estimate does not include a separate Flood Safety Benefit Fee, which is about $1.20 per month for a typical customer.

Water, sewer and stormwater rates

Sewer and stormwater rates increased 5.15% on July 1. Water rates increased 8.1%.

The city’s combined estimate applies to a typical single-family residential customer. Individual bills can change by more or less depending on water use, property characteristics and account type.

Portland says the higher rates support the operation, maintenance and improvement of its drinking-water, wastewater and stormwater systems. The city cites rising costs for materials, equipment and workers, along with repairs and replacements for aging pipes, pump stations and treatment facilities, urgent work and environmental-regulatory requirements.

Flood-safety fee is separate

Customers also began seeing a new Flood Safety Benefit Fee on July 1. It is collected through the city utility bill, but it is not a water, sewer or stormwater rate.

For a typical single-family customer, the fee is $3.60 on a 90-day quarterly bill, or about $1.20 per month. Portland says the fee funds the city’s required payments to the Urban Flood Safety and Water Quality District, which maintains levees, pump stations and other flood-protection infrastructure along the Columbia River.

What the utility charges support

Portland’s Water Bureau and Environmental Services say the added revenue supports routine operations and maintenance as well as long-term capital work needed to keep the systems reliable and meet regulatory requirements.

One major project is the Bull Run Filtration Project. Portland says the project is needed to comply with federal and state drinking-water regulations and will remove Cryptosporidium, sediment and organic material from the city’s water supply. The city also says filtration will help prepare the drinking-water system for wildfires, extreme weather and other emergencies.

According to the Water Bureau, about 40% of planned water-rate increases will pay for the filtration project. Other planned work includes replacing aging sewer pipes and pumps and expanding treatment capacity at the Columbia Boulevard Wastewater Treatment Plant.

Rates adopted with the fiscal-year budget

The rate decisions were part of Portland’s fiscal-year 2026-27 budget process and related City Council action. The council passed the water-rate ordinance on May 27, 2026. The ordinance sets water rates for the fiscal year running from July 1, 2026, through June 30, 2027, and records an overall average retail water-rate increase of 8.1%.

The council passed the city’s amended FY 2026-27 adopted budget on June 17, 2026. The ordinance sets the total budget at $8,537,051,372 and establishes appropriations for the fiscal year that began July 1.

Customers comparing a new bill should check the prior bill’s usage and billing period, not just the total dollar difference. The city’s $10.20 figure is an estimate for a typical household, not a guaranteed increase for every Portland account. The separate Flood Safety Benefit Fee may add roughly another $1.20 per month for a typical customer.

Sources

• Portland Water Bureau: Sewer, stormwater and water rates increase July 1, 2026