Water rates are going up for the more than 10,000 customers in the Wellborn special utility district each of the next two years.
The district’s board unanimously approved the rate increase at Tuesday’s (August 19th) meeting.
The rate increase, originally schedule January 1 of 2026 and 2027, was moved up to October 1 of this year and next year.
General manager Campbell Young says the effective date was changed to meet the timing of the district’s bond application with the Texas commission on environmental quality. The state application is necessary to proceed with expanding the Wellborn water district’s capacity, which is the reason for the rate increase.
The new rates reflect customers paying more when they are using more.
Typical residential customers in the Wellborn district currently pay about $61 dollars a month.
That would increase in the first year by about 11 and a half dollars a month. And in 2027, rates would rise by another 11 dollars a month.
The increase for higher usage residential customers in the first year would be 22 and a half dollars a month next year and in 2027, by an additional 20 dollars and 75 cents a month.
As for the expansion project, officials say the design is complete and construction will start before the end of this year.
Additional information from the Wellborn special utility district:
The proposed water rates are designed to strengthen the long-term financial health of the utility and ensure safe, reliable water service for every household and business in the District.
These adjustments are based on a cost-of-service study.
The rate increases are designed to support critical system upgrades, replacement of aging infrastructure, and construction of the District’s 2026 Water Supply Project—an initiative aimed at building independence from outside water providers and enhancing system resilience.
“As a Board, we are committed to delivering safe, dependable water service today and into the future,” said James Massey, President of the WSUD Board of Directors. “This project gives us local control of our water supply, prepares us for future growth, and protects our community during peak summer demand.”
Effective Date: October 1, 2025
Monthly Fixed Charge (Residential) will increase from $37.50 to $47.25
Volumetric Rates (per 1,000 gallons):
Tier 1 (0–2,000 gallons): $4.70
Tier 2 (2,001–10,000 gallons): $5.20
Tier 3 (10,001-20,000 gallons): $5.70
Tier 4 (20,001-30,000 gallons): $6.60
Tier 5 (30,001-40,000 gallons): $8.60
Tier 6 (40,001-50,000 gallons): $10.80
Tier 7 (50,001-90,000 gallons): $13.50
Tier 8 (>90,000 gallons gallons): $15.50
Beginning in October 2025, a typical residential customer using 5,000 gallons per month would see an increase of approximately $11.55 per month (from $60.70 to $72.25). A higher-usage customer at 30,000 gallons would see an increase of about $22.55 per month.
Effective Date: October 1, 2026
Monthly Fixed Charge (Residential) will increase from $47.25 to $57.00.
Volumetric Rates (per 1,000 gallons):
Tier 1 (0–2,000 gallons): $5.00
Tier 2 (2,001–10,000 gallons): $5.50
Tier 3 (10,001-20,000 gallons): $6.10
Tier 4 (20,001-30,000 gallons): $7.00
Tier 5 (30,001-40,000 gallons): $9.10
Tier 6 (40,001-50,000 gallons): $11.40
Tier 7 (50,001-90,000 gallons): $14.30
Tier 8 (>90,000 gallons gallons): $16.40
Beginning in October 2026, a typical residential customer using 5,000 gallons per month would see an increase of approximately $11.25 per month (from $72.25 to $83.50). A higher usage customer at 30,000 gallons would see an increase of about $20.75 per month.
Over the several meetings, the Board has discussed rates that are necessary to ensure a adequate and dependable long-term water supply. WSUD is legally required under state law to serve new development within its boundaries, and conservation alone cannot meet the infrastructure demands of a growing region.
The rate structure protects low-usage customers by maintaining a tiered rate system that encourages conservation. Most residential customers would see moderate increases, while higher water users would see larger impacts.
“We understand that any rate increase affects our customers,” said Campbell Young, General Manager of WSUD. “That’s why we’ve worked hard to design the system improvements that are needed to ensure the water supply our community deserves and that the associated proposed rate increases are fair, transparent, and based on actual system needs.”
While project costs have increased due to inflation and supply chain disruptions, the design is complete and construction is moving forward—starting with the well field in 2025. WSUD will maintain interconnections with neighboring utilities for emergency use, but the new system will dramatically reduce reliance on outside sources.