Rock Springs approves 7% water and 9% sewer rate increases for 2026-27

Rock Springs City Council approved increases of 7% for water rates and 9% for sewer rates on June 16, while also approving the city’s proposed 2026-27 fiscal-year budget.

The action means water and sewer customers will face higher utility charges in the new fiscal year. The approved budget also sets spending levels for city services, including police, fire, streets, water and sewer operations.

Utility funds

The budget appropriates $9,288,338 for the Water Fund and $6,994,688 for the Sewer Fund. Those funds support the city’s water and sewer operations as the rate increases take effect during the new fiscal year.

The percentage increases apply to the rates, but the exact dollar change on an individual bill will vary based on the customer’s existing charges and water or sewer use. A household’s new total cannot be determined from the percentage alone.

The council’s approval of the rate increases was reported alongside its approval of the 2026-27 budget. The action was not a proposal awaiting council consideration; it was the council’s approved decision for the upcoming fiscal year.

Spending across city services

The adopted budget includes $44,387,631 in General Fund appropriations. Within that spending plan, the Police Department is allocated $8,358,272, the Fire Department is allocated $7,052,282 and Streets is allocated $5,838,525.

Those appropriations establish the planned funding levels for several of the city services most visible to residents. Police and fire funding covers the budgeted allocations for public safety departments, while the Streets appropriation covers the city’s planned spending in that department. The Water and Sewer Fund appropriations are listed separately from the General Fund.

For residents, the immediate financial effect of the council’s action is the approved increase in utility rates. For the city, the budget provides the spending framework for the 2026-27 fiscal year and assigns funding across general government, public safety, streets and utility operations.

The approved budget does not by itself provide a single bill amount for every water or sewer customer. Customers will need the applicable rate schedule and their own usage information to determine the change to a particular bill.