FILE - The Bull Run Watershed, Portland's main source for drinking water. Portland City Council approved a more than 6 percent rate increase for water and sewer users, the largest increase in more than a decade.
Anna Lueck / OPB
Portlanders will be seeing an increase to their utility bills this summer.
Portland City Council approved a plan Wednesday to increase combined water and sewer bills by more than 6%. With the increase, the average household will pay a total of about $160 per month for the services — or nearly $2,000 annually.
The increase is expected to generate $439.9 million in utility revenue in the next year.
Ting Lu, the interim director of the Bureau of Environmental Services, said the increased costs are necessary due to inflation, the costs to repair and replace aging infrastructure, and other factors.
“This puts added pressure on our bureaus to keep delivering the same level of service, while our expenses continue to surpass revenues,” Lu told councilors at a meeting last week.
This is the highest rate increase the city has seen in more than a decade.
Only one city councilor voted against the rate increase Wednesday. Councilor Dan Ryan said he didn’t support raising fees above 2% due to the burden it places on residents.
Low-income Portlanders can apply for financial assistance from the city to reduce their bills.
Several councilors said they were worried about the rate hike, but that they saw the decision as a way to stave off deeper costs in the future.
“What we see if we don’t increase the costs, we will see dramatic increases a few years later to make up for that, or decrease in services that will lead to failure down the line,” said Elana Pirtle-Guiney, the council president. “While I share concerns about the increase in costs, I don’t want to see those dramatic increases down the line.”
The rate increase will go into effect in July.
