Utility Rates

Residential Water/Wastewater

(Effective January 1, 2025)

Water

Total water charges consist of your base rate and monthly consumption. Consumption is billed in 1000 gallon increments on a tiered billing structure.

Water Utility Frequently Asked Questions

Base/Minimum monthly water rate

3/4" Meter:

  • Inside City Limits: $16.50
  • Outside City Limits: $20.63

1" Meter:

  • Inside City Limits: $27.50
  • Outside City Limits: $34.38

Water Consumption Rate (per 1000 gallons)

Consumption Inside City
Limits		 Outside City
Limits
0 - 3000 gallons $3.34 $4.18
3001 - 8000 gallons $4.17 $5.21
8001 - 15,000 gallons $6.68 $8.35
15,001 - 25,000 gallons $8.68 $10.85
25,000+ gallons $11.69 $14.61

Wastewater

Total sewer charges consist of your base rate and monthly consumption. We calculate a Winter Average using your water consumption billed during January, February, and March.

Your sewer charges are capped by the average of your water consumption billed during the winter months (traditionally the months with the lowest water usage). If no water is used during these months or you establish new service, winter usage defaults to 6000 gallons. If you use less than your average at any time, you'll be charged for the lesser amount.

Base/Minimum monthly wastewater rate

  • Inside City Limits: $26.17
  • Outside City Limits: $32.71

Wastewater Volumetric Use Rate

  • Inside City Limits: $6.76 per 1000 gallons
  • Outside City Limits: $8.45 per 1000 gallons

Non-Residential Water/Wastewater

(Effective January 1, 2025)

Water

Total water charges consist of your base rate and monthly consumption. Base rate is based on meter size. Consumption is billed in 1000 gallon increments on a tiered billing structure.

Small Commercial Base/Minimum monthly rate

If all meters are smaller than 3", the account will be billed at the small commercial base and monthly rate. Check your bill to see your Rate Class.

Water Meter Size Inside City
Limits		 Outside City
Limits
3/4 inch meter (also referred to as 5/8 inch) $22.34 $27.93
1 inch meter $61.92 $77.40
1.5 inch meter $111.14 $138.93
2 inch meter $170.16 $212.70

Small Commercial Volumetric Use Rate

  • Inside City Limits: $3.87 per 1000 gallons
  • Outside City Limits: $4.84 per 1000 gallons

Large Commercial Base/Minimum monthly rate

If an account has more than 3 meters and the largest is 3" or larger, all meters will be billed at the large commercial rate. Check your bill to see your Rate Class.

Water Meter Size Inside City
Limits		 Outside City
Limits
3/4 inch meter (also referred to as 5/8 inch) $30.28 $37.85
1 inch meter $83.93 $104.91
1.5 inch meter $150.63 $188.29
2 inch meter $230.64 $288.30
3 inch meter $399.39 $499.24
4 inch meter $583.73 $729.66
6 inch meter $1009.33 $1261.66
8 inch meter $1614.93 $2018.66
10 inch meter $2321.47 $2901.84

Large Commercial Volumetric Use Rate

  • Inside City Limits: $4.61 per 1000 gallons
  • Outside City Limits: $5.76 per 1000 gallons

Wastewater

Wastewater charges are based on 100% of metered volume use times rate.

Small/Large Commercial Demand Rates

Water Meter Size Inside City
Limits		 Outside City
Limits
3/4 inch meter (also referred to as 5/8 inch) $26.17 $32.71
1 inch meter $41.35 $51.69
1.5 inch meter $75.40 $94.25
2 inch meter $116.25 $145.31
3 inch meter $202.11 $252.64
4 inch meter $319.38 $399.23
6 inch meter $609.41 $761.76
8 inch meter $970.68 $1213.35
10 inch meter $1370.66 $1713.33

Small/Large Commercial Volumetric Rate

  • Inside City Limits: $6.76 per 1000 gallons
  • Outside City Limits: $8.45 per 1000 gallons

Irrigation Water

(Effective January 1, 2025)

Irrigation Base/Minimum monthly rate

Water Meter Size Inside City
Limits		 Outside City
Limits
3/4 inch meter (also referred to as 5/8 inch) $22.21 $27.76
1 inch meter $61.56 $76.95
1.5 inch meter $110.49 $138.11
2 inch meter $169.17 $211.46
3 inch meter $292.95 $366.19
4 inch meter $428.16 $535.20
6 inch meter $740.33 $925.41
8 inch meter $1184.53 $1480.66
10 inch meter $1702.77 $2128.46

Irrigation Volumetric Use Rate (per 1000 gallons)

Consumption Inside City
Limits		 Outside City
Limits
0 - 25,000 gallons $7.10 $8.88
25,000+ gallons $11.69 $14.61

Industrial Water

(Effective January 1, 2025)

Industrial Base/Minimum monthly rate
Accounts billed as Industrial will be charged the Industrial rate. Check your bill to see your Rate Class.

Water Meter Size Inside City
Limits		 Outside City
Limits
3/4 inch meter (also referred to as 5/8 inch) $28.99 $36.24
1 inch meter $80.36 $100.45
1.5 inch meter $144.22 $180.28
2 inch meter $220.81 $276.01
3 inch meter $382.38 $477.98
4 inch meter $558.86 $698.58
6 inch meter $966.33 $1207.91
8 inch meter $1546.13 $1932.66
10 inch meter $2222.57 $2778.21

Industrial Volumetric Rate (per 1000 gallons)

  • Inside City Limits: $4.43
  • Outside City Limits: $5.54

Municipal Drainage Utility System

The Municipal Drainage Utility System (MDUS) has a value of over $750M, with some components exceeding 100 years of age. Thus, the drainage fee was created to address the inevitable effects of the aging system. The drainage fee is a dedicated charge that can only be used for activities related to stormwater. Such activities include maintenance, repair, and improvement of the storm drain system’s components (pipes, inlets, culverts, etc.) as well as street sweeping and litter cleanup to preserve water quality in local creeks and lakes. Additionally, the fee helps maintain compliance with state and federal stormwater mandates, including floodplain management.

City Council approved the drainage fee in November 2020; however, implementation was delayed until October 1, 2021. The fee appears on your monthly water bill. If your property does not receive a water bill from the City, a separate drainage account will be created regardless of occupancy.

Certain properties are exempt by State Law or City Ordinance, including:

  • State-owned property
  • County-owned property
  • City-owned property
  • Property owned by a public school district
  • Property owned by public or private institutions of higher education
  • Religious properties exempt under Section 11.20 of the Texas Tax Code
  • Cemeteries closed to new burials and not accepting new interments
  • Properties with private drainage systems that retain 100-year storm runoff without discharging to the public system
  • Properties with less than 500 square feet of impervious cover

The drainage fee is based on the impact your property has on the City’s stormwater system. That impact is directly related to the amount of impervious surface, such as sidewalks, driveways, and rooftops, which generate runoff by preventing water from infiltrating the ground. The more impervious area a property has, the more it contributes to stormwater volume and flow. The City uses impervious area data from the McLennan County Appraisal District, city building permits, and aerial imagery to determine your property’s contribution. The most recent aerial imagery is from 2023, and updated imagery from February 2025 is currently being processed. Aerial imagery is typically updated every two years.

To view your property’s drainage assessment, visit the City of Waco Find My Drainage Fee Map. If you have concerns about your fee or believe your fee is incorrect, you may file an appeal using the official appeal form. Please note that while your appeal is under review, you are still required to pay the drainage fee.

Drainage Fee Calculations Explained

Variables/Definitions

Equivalent Residential Unit (ERU) – Quantity used for calculating monthly drainage fee

Area of Impervious Cover on Parcel in Square Feet (𝐴𝐼𝐢) as shown on the City of Waco Find My Drainage Fee Map, McLennan County Appraisal District Interactive Map, or the original building plans.

Note: Impervious Cover is the area of hard surfaces such as sidewalks, driveways, and rooftops that affects the rate at which water enters the storm drain system. Such surfaces prevent water infiltration into the ground, increasing water runoff flow and volume.

Average Area of Impervious Cover on Single-Family Residential Property in City Limits (Waco, Texas, Municipal Code §26-400) (𝐴̂𝐼𝐢) = 2,633 SF

Drainage Rate as Defined by City Council (𝑅𝐷) = $6.55 (as of 6/16/2025)

Procedure

  1. Determine ERU based on Land Classification and 𝐴𝐼𝐢

    1. For Single-Family Residential Property:
      𝐴𝐼𝐢 is less than 500 SF then πΈπ‘…π‘ˆ = 0 (Exempt)
      𝐴𝐼𝐢 is more than 500 SF but less than 1,960 SF then πΈπ‘…π‘ˆ = 0.57 (Tier 1)
      𝐴𝐼𝐢 is more than 1960 SF but less than 3,400 SF then πΈπ‘…π‘ˆ = 1.0 (Tier 2)
      𝐴𝐼𝐢 is more than 3,400 SF then πΈπ‘…π‘ˆ = 1.74 (Tier 3)

    2. For Multi-Family Residential or Non-Residential Property:
      πΈπ‘…π‘ˆ = 𝐴𝐼𝐢 / (average) 𝐴̂𝐼𝐢
      where πΈπ‘…π‘ˆ is rounded to the nearest non-zero integer.

  2. Calculate Monthly Fee
    π‘€π‘œπ‘›π‘‘β„Žπ‘™π‘¦ 𝐹𝑒𝑒 = πΈπ‘…π‘ˆ × π‘…π·

Examples

  1. I am a homeowner. My property is 0.25 acres with only my home (1,250 SF), driveway (200 SF), and a shed (250 SF) on the parcel.
    the "Find My Drainage Fee Map" records the 𝐴𝐼𝐢 as 1,700 SF
    which falls with Tier 1, with an πΈπ‘…π‘ˆ of 0.57
    Multiply 0.57 by the 𝑅𝐷 of $6.55, and the monthly fee is $3.73

  2. I am a business owner. My property includes the store (50,000 SF) and the parking lot (30,000 SF).
    the "Find my Drainage Fee Map" records the 𝐴𝐼𝐢 as 80,000 SF
    Divide 80,000 by 2,633 (average 𝐴̂𝐼𝐢 as defined by municipal code §26-400) to get 30.38, then round to the nearest non-zero integer to get the πΈπ‘…π‘ˆ of 30.0
    Multiply 30.0 by the 𝑅𝐷 of $6.55, and the monthly fee is $196.50


Street Maintenance Fee

Waco Neighborhood Streets

The street maintenance fee is a dedicated charge, meaning it cannot be used for any purpose other than transportation system maintenance and improvement. This fee supports repairs and upgrades to Waco’s streets, bridges, and traffic signals. The City owns approximately 1,534 lane miles of streets (excluding the interstate and other TxDOT “on-system” roads), 72 bridges, and 180 traffic signals, making repairs and general maintenance to the system inevitable.

To address this imbalance, the City of Waco has enacted a Street Maintenance Fee, a proportional monthly user fee based on the demand that different land uses place on the street system. This fee is collected through the monthly utility bill.

The Street Maintenance Fee is designed to ensure that those who generate more traffic—and therefore more wear and tear on streets—contribute proportionally to their maintenance. The fee currently funds approximately 12% of the City’s total annual street maintenance expenses.

Certain properties are exempt from the fee, including:

  • Property owned by the United States, the State of Texas, McLennan County, the City of Waco, or any Independent School District
  • Property owned by religious organizations that is exempt from taxation
  • Public or private institutions of higher education
  • Undeveloped property held in its natural state
  • Cemeteries that are closed to new interments and do not accept new burials
  • Single-Family Detached or Single-Family Attached Housing with no registered motor vehicles, trailers, or recreational vehicles associated with the residence

An Exemption Form is available for qualifying properties.

The monthly fee for single-family residential properties is $2.00. Fees for non-residential properties vary based on the property’s use and its estimated impact on the street system. 

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