New water and wastewater rates take effect Oct. 1 as part of the City’s 2026-27 budget. The changes are designed to address rising wholesale water costs from the North Texas Municipal Water District, higher operating expenses and the ongoing need to maintain and improve aging utility infrastructure. Customers will first see the new rates on their November utility bills.
Under the new rate structure, monthly base charges are tied to meter size. Most Richardson residential customers have a 3/4-inch-meter. For those customers, the monthly base charge increases from $8 to $9.60 for water and wastewater services. Under the City’s new five-year rate plan, that base charge will gradually increase to $20 by 2030. Volume rates, which are based on actual usage, are also increasing.
Senior customers, over the age of 65, with 3/4-inch or 1-inch meters will continue to pay the current $8 monthly base charge for both water and wastewater service. Their volume rates will adjust consistently with other residential rates.
The City is also changing how it calculates residential wastewater usage to better reflect the amount each household contributes to the sanitary sewer system. Previously, the number was based on average water use from November through February looking back at the last three years. Beginning Nov. 1, the calculation will only use the previous year’s November through February water usage and will exclude the month with the highest usage. Residents should see the first impact of the new calculation on their November bill.
Find more information about water and wastewater rates
For account-specific questions, contact Utility Customer Service at 972-744-4120 or AskRichardsonCustomerService@cor.gov.
