— PALM BEACH COUNTY • UTILITY RATE UPDATE
Palm Beach County Water Utilities rates increase 3.734% October 1
Palm Beach County Water Utilities says its water, wastewater, reclaimed-water and guaranteed-revenue charges will rise 3.734% beginning October 1, 2026.
- The 3.734% increase applies to Palm Beach County Water Utilities customers—not every water customer in Palm Beach County.
- The adjustment covers base facility fees and commodity charges for water and wastewater, plus reclaimed-water and guaranteed-revenue fees.
- A typical single-family 5/8-inch-by-3/4-inch meter will carry a $14.62 monthly potable-water base charge, a $26.07 wastewater base charge, or $40.69 combined before usage charges.
- Usage charges remain tiered, so the change in a household's total bill depends on service type, meter size and consumption.
Why are the rates changing?
Palm Beach County says Ordinance 21-008 authorizes annual indexing based on 75% of the prior year's Consumer Price Index increase for water and sewer maintenance. The published index rose 4.979%, producing the 3.734% rate adjustment effective October 1.
Who is affected?
The schedule applies to customers billed by Palm Beach County Water Utilities Department. It should not be treated as a countywide increase for customers of separate city or special-district utilities such as Boca Raton, Boynton Beach, Delray Beach, Jupiter, Wellington or West Palm Beach.
Check the utility name on the bill before using the County schedule.
What are the new residential base charges?
For a single-family account with the smallest listed meter size, the County publishes monthly base facility fees of $14.62 for potable water and $26.07 for wastewater, or $40.69 for both services. Larger meters have higher base charges.
For multifamily service, the listed base fees are $11.47 for potable water and $22.83 for wastewater, or $34.30 combined.
How do usage charges work?
The County's residential schedule lists combined potable-water and wastewater commodity charges of $5.09 per 1,000 gallons for the first 4,000 gallons, $7.99 for 5,000–10,000 gallons, $9.40 for 11,000–25,000 gallons and $10.84 above 25,000 gallons. The final bill can also reflect service type, meter size, reclaimed-water service and other account-specific charges.
The rate adjustment does not indicate contamination, a boil-water notice or a change in treatment. Current safety notices should be checked separately for the exact service address.
What should customers do?
- Confirm the provider. Look for Palm Beach County Water Utilities Department on the bill.
- Compare the new schedule with the next statement. The new rates apply beginning October 1, 2026.
- Review consumption as well as the base fee. Residential usage is billed in tiers.
- Ask the utility about an account-specific charge. PBCWUD lists 561-740-4600 for billing questions.
The bottom line
Palm Beach County Water Utilities customers will see a 3.734% indexed rate increase beginning October 1. The percentage applies across several charge categories, but the dollar impact on an individual bill depends on meter size, services and water use.
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Published September 30, 2026. No corrections posted.
This page will be updated if Palm Beach County changes the October 1 schedule or publishes materially different rates.
Sources
- Palm Beach County Water Utilities: September/October 2026 bill message
- Palm Beach County Water Utilities: residential rate schedule effective October 1, 2026
- Palm Beach County Water Utilities: non-residential rate schedule effective October 1, 2026
Sources reviewed September 30, 2026. Customers should use the official utility schedule for account-specific charges.