Lee County adopts utility rate schedule through 2029
Lee County Utilities, Florida · Meeting date: November 3, 2026 · Published: November 4, 2026
The Lee Board of County Commissioners approved Lee County Utilities' revised rate schedule in a 4-1 vote. The schedule is intended to support utility operations and present and future capital projects while retaining the utility's comparatively low regional pricing position, staff said.
Key points
- The revised schedule applies to water, wastewater, reclaimed-water, wholesale and ancillary charges.
- Rate modifications run through October 1, 2029.
- From October 1, 2030, annual increases will equal 4% or the rise in the Bureau of Labor Statistics' Water and Sewage Maintenance Index, whichever is greater.
- Staff said Lee County Utilities was the lowest-priced provider among comparable regional utilities before the revision and is expected to remain among the lowest after it.
Full report
Lee County Commissioners have approved a revised rate schedule for Lee County Utilities, establishing changes to water, wastewater, reclaimed-water, wholesale and ancillary charges through October 1, 2029.
The resolution passed 4-1 following a public hearing on November 3. From October 1, 2030, the schedule provides for an annual increase equal to either 4% or the increase in the Bureau of Labor Statistics' Water and Sewage Maintenance Index, whichever is greater.
Utility staff said the revised rates were needed to support operations and capital projects, both current and future, across the water and wastewater systems. Lee County Utilities had not kept pace with rate adjustments or capital indexing, the staff presentation said, putting the utility at a “slight disadvantage.”
Staff compared the utility's charges with those of regional peers and said Lee County Utilities was the lowest-rate provider for comparable services before the change. Even after the proposed adjustments, the utility was projected to remain among the first or second lowest-priced providers, although staff noted this comparison depends on rate increases elsewhere that are currently known.
No detailed charge levels or annual adjustment percentages through 2029 were discussed during the hearing. The approved resolution places all of the affected utility charges under the revised schedule and creates the CPI- or index-based mechanism for adjustments beginning in 2030.
This summary was generated by AI based on the source document and may contain errors.
Source: Lee Board of County Commissioners, Lee County Utilities