New Arlington Water and Sewer Rates Start on Oct. 1, 2026

Published on September 17, 2026

photo of a faucet dripping water

By Traci Peterson, Arlington Water Utilities

The Arlington Water Utilities annual budget ensures safe, high-quality tap water delivered to residents for some of the lowest water rates in North Texas. Rates and fees for the upcoming fiscal year were approved at the Sept. 15 Arlington City Council meeting. New rates begin on Oct. 1, 2026.

Arlington Water Utilities is responsible for the operation of two water treatment plants and a modern water laboratory, 10 elevated storage tanks, and nearly 3,000 miles of public water distribution mains and sanitary sewer mains. The department’s budget for Fiscal Year 2027 includes $251,096,436 in spending. Some of the cost increases noted in the coming year are:

  • $2,752,263 for raw water purchases from Tarrant Regional Water District;
  • $3,174,589 for wastewater treatment by Trinity River Authority;
  • $6,090,000 for repair and replacement of components within the water and wastewater system.

Rates for FY2027 vary according to customer class and usage levels. The adjustments will result in a monthly increase of $5.10, or 6.3 percent, for the average residential customer using 8,000 gallons of water and 4,000 gallons of wastewater per month. The monthly increase for a commercial customer using 50,000 gallons of water and 50,000 gallons of wastewater per month will be 7.89 percent or $65.64.

About 82 percent of Arlington residential customers use less than 10,000 gallons of water each month.  Arlington Water Utilities’ rates are designed to reward water conservation and efficient use. For example, a residential customer using 10,000 gallons of water or less each month will not pay rates more than $3.81 per 1,000 gallons of water in the coming fiscal year. However, if that customer were to use more than 16,000 gallons of water in the month, their rate could jump to $9.10 per 1,000 gallons for the water they use after reaching the 16,000 gallons threshold.

Customers with remote read meters can monitor their hourly water usage and sign up for high usage and high bill alerts by visiting ArlingtonTX.gov/KnowYourH2O or by downloading the Arlington Water Utilities app from Google Play or the App Store.

New rates will also start on Oct. 1, 2026, for trash/recycling collection services. The residential refuse charge (trash/recycling collection) will increase from $22.71 to $23.49.

Help is available for Arlington Water Utilities customers facing financial difficulties. Visit ArlingtonTX.gov/CareandShare to learn more.

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