Augusta customers will pay more for water and sewer next year under rate hikes sought by the city Utilities department.
Director Wes Byne presented the request at a Monday budget work session. His 2026 budget proposal showed $111.5 million in spending, a $10.6 million increase over this year, with projected revenues of $134.5 million.
Water, sewer and tap sales comprise about $109 million of revenues, while the remainder is reimbursements from Fort Gordon, he said. Another $37 million is budgeted for debt service on the bonds and loans Augusta uses to pay for large capital projects.
Expected to drive up spending is nearly $70 million in needed capital projects, according to Byne’s presentation. This includes some $19 million for embankment repairs at the Augusta Canal, which was heavily damaged by Hurricane Helene.
The city continues to pursue ways to pay for the canal work and expects to know more by year’s end, he said.
About $37 million on the project list is associated with the J.B. Messerly Wastewater Treatment Plant. The city was hit with a $170,000 fine from the Georgia Environmental Protection Division earlier this year and ordered to submit detailed plans to correct several deficiencies.
The repairs include $20 million to replace the headworks, where wastewater enters the plant. Byne said the headworks “got us dinged” by permitting authorities because it needs to be upgraded to pump more water. In $5 million for infiltration and inflow reduction systems are needed to keep stormwater out of the system.
The water and sewer rate hikes follow this year’s 4.5% increase. Each percentage increase is projected to generate around $1 million and Byne said he expects to ask the commission for 6.5%. The increase would raise the monthly bill on a customer using 3,000 gallons per month by about $4, he said.
Augusta hasn’t increased tap fees significantly since the “80s or 90s” and they lag behind most in the area, he said. The proposal is to increase the fee starting with the smallest taps at $1,175.
The department also wants to impose a new fee to replace a customer’s meter reading device when it is damaged or stolen, he said.
