In July, the Council approved the rates it will charge its wastewater customers for 2020. The municipal wastewater charge will rise 3.6% overall, although any given city or town’s charge will vary based on its flow relative to total regional flow volume.
Municipal wastewater charges represent 77% of the total revenue for wastewater operations in 2020. Residents in the Twin Cities area continue to pay about 40% less for wastewater services than residents in other regions that treat more than 100 million gallons of wastewater daily.
The sewer availability charge (SAC), a one-time fee charged when a residence or business connects to the wastewater system for the first time or expands its use, is 15% of 2020 revenue. The SAC will remain flat at $2,485 per unit; the Council has not raised this charge since the beginning of 2014. Stronger economic growth has allowed the rate to be stable.
The remaining 2020 revenue will come from industrial waste charges (5%) and other sources (3%). All revenue will support proposed overall spending of $310.8 million for the Council’s Environmental Services division. The Council’s 2020 budget is finalized later this year.
The Council’s wastewater collection and treatment operations are financed entirely by user fees, and those fees do not support any other Council operations.
The annual rate-setting process includes outreach to industrial and municipal customers through a series of well-attended, open-house-style workshops and forums during the spring.
View a presentation about the 2020 wastewater rates
More about Metropolitan Council Environmental Services