Poulsbo approves 2027 sewer and stormwater rate rises as treatment-plant share hits $24m
City of Poulsbo, Washington · Meeting date: November 4, 2026 · Published: November 5, 2026
Poulsbo City Council has adopted Ordinance 2026-13, updating water, wastewater and stormwater charges from 1 January 2027. The measure codifies additional 6% wastewater and stormwater increases alongside CPI-linked adjustments, with the city citing its rising Central Kitsap Wastewater Treatment Plant obligation.
Key points
- The ordinance was approved on 4 November and takes effect on 14 November 2026; revised utility charges apply from 1 January 2027.
- Poulsbo’s share of Kitsap County’s Central Kitsap Wastewater Treatment Plant project has increased from $13m to $24m.
- Wastewater and stormwater rates will receive 6% increases in 2027 in addition to annual CPI-U adjustments; the applicable CPI-U figure for 2027 is 4.5%.
- The monthly single-family wastewater base charge rises from $68.26 to $77.46, while the single-family stormwater charge rises from $22.67 to $25.72.
Full report
Poulsbo City Council has adopted 2027 water, wastewater and stormwater rate changes after a financial review identified the need to maintain enterprise-fund operating balances and financial integrity amid rising capital costs.
Ordinance 2026-13, approved on 4 November, updates the city’s utility-rate schedules effective 1 January 2027 and codifies future wastewater and stormwater increases. The council had held a public hearing on the proposals on 21 October, at which no public testimony was received.
The largest stated pressure on the wastewater utility is Poulsbo’s obligation under its interlocal agreement to contribute to Kitsap County sewer capital projects. The city’s share of the Central Kitsap Wastewater Treatment Plant project has risen from $13m to $24m.
The city engaged financial consultant FCS, a Bowman Company, to assess rates using current capital-improvement-plan construction costs, Public Works Facility loan payments, the higher treatment-plant cost and the effects of outsourcing solid waste. The ordinance says the resulting increases are required to support the utility funds.
Wastewater and stormwater rates will each receive an additional 6% increase in 2027, on top of the city’s annual CPI-U mechanism. The CPI-U for 2027 is 4.5%, based on the Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue index for the year ended 30 June 2026. The municipal code retains CPI-linked annual adjustments, subject to a 2% minimum and 6% maximum.
For a single-family customer, the monthly wastewater base charge, including 400 cubic feet of consumption, will increase from $68.26 to $77.46. The wastewater commodity charge rises from $8.96 to $10.17 per hundred cubic feet. The low-income senior wastewater base charge will rise from $32.01 to $36.32 per month.
The single-family stormwater charge will increase from $22.67 to $25.72 per month, while the low-income senior charge rises from $13.62 to $15.46. Charges for other stormwater accounts will be $25.72 per billable impervious-surface unit per month.
Water charges are also updated from 1 January. The single-family residential base charge for a three-quarter-inch or one-inch meter rises from $20.67 to $23.46 per month, while the winter commodity charge increases from $2.89 to $3.28 per hundred cubic feet. The corresponding summer second-block charge rises from $4.52 to $5.13 per hundred cubic feet.
The ordinance also sets forward wastewater increases of 6% in both 2028 and 2029, while stormwater will receive further 6% adjustments in 2029 and 2031, in each case in addition to annual CPI adjustments.
This summary was generated by AI based on the source document and may contain errors.
Source: City Council - Nov 04, 2026, City of Poulsbo