SPOKANE, Wash. — For the past decade, rates have steadily climbed by an average of 2.9 percent each year, but that is about to change.
Utility rates in Spokane will rise for the years 2025 and 2026, following a recent city vote to implement a steeper increase.
“We have reached that point where we are running out of deficit because it is not keeping up with inflation,” said Kirstin Davis, Public Works Department Communication Manager.
The city will raise utility prices by 4.88 percent for 2025 and 5.47 percent for 2026, resulting in an increase of approximately $7 per month in the first year and an additional $8.40 in the second year.
“It is never easy to increase prices; we are all feeling the pinch for sure,” Davis said. “But we also have the responsibility to maintain our 11,000 miles of pipes and ensure clean drinking water, as well as a system that works for our customers.”
The city has also outlined incentives to help residents lower their utility costs.
These include a base water price increase of about 30 cents a month and a water usage rate increase only for those using more than 26 units of water per month.
According to Davis, 1 unit equals 748 gallons, so 26 units equals 19,448 gallons of water.
Davis noted there will also be incentives related to trash disposal.
“We want to make sure we are incentivizing folks to decrease their solid waste and increase their organic disposal,” said Davis.
Davis emphasized that the top priority is ensuring customer satisfaction and providing predictability in utility bills.
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