TPU proposes two-year water rise for University Place
University Place City of, Washington · Meeting date: October 19, 2026 · Published: October 20, 2026
Tacoma Public Utilities is proposing 5.6% residential water-rate increases in both 2027 and 2028 for University Place, equivalent to average monthly bill rises of $3.86 and $4.02 respectively. The utility says the figures include University Place's 6% utility gross earnings tax.
Key points
- The proposed 5.6% water increases would take effect in January 2027 and January 2028, subject to approvals by the Public Utility Board and Tacoma City Council.
- TPU cited drinking-water main, pipe and pump-station replacement, specialised labour, technology, climate adaptation, regulatory compliance and healthcare costs as key pressures.
- TPU plans to expand eligibility for its bill-credit assistance programme from 60% to 80% of area median income and move to a tiered, income-based structure.
- University Place has 16,302 combined TPU power and water customers, including 345 commercial water customers.
Full report
University Place water customers face proposed residential bill increases of 5.6% in each of 2027 and 2028 under Tacoma Public Utilities' draft biennial rate package.
TPU told the University Place City Council on 19 October that the average residential water bill would rise by $3.86 per month in 2027 and by $4.02 per month in 2028. The utility said these University Place-specific figures reflect both its proposed water-rate adjustment and the city's 6% utility gross earnings tax, which TPU collects and remits to the city.
The increases are not yet approved. TPU said its Public Utility Board is scheduled to vote on the budget and rates package at the end of October, after which it will go to Tacoma City Council for first and final readings in November.
The utility attributed the proposal to infrastructure and operating-cost pressures. For water, these include replacement of mains, pipes and pump stations, alongside increased costs for specialised labour, technology, climate-change adaptation, regulatory and legal compliance, and healthcare. TPU said it was seeking to contain costs by maintaining equipment rather than replacing it where possible, prioritising safety and reliability projects, holding staffing levels steady for 2027-28, reducing operations and maintenance costs, and pursuing grants and other non-customer funding.
The rate proposal comes with an expansion of TPU's customer-assistance programme. The utility plans to raise eligibility for bill credits from 60% to 80% of area median income and switch to a tiered, income-based model. TPU estimated that the change would expand eligibility by about 32,000 people across its service territory. Customers already enrolled would have their assistance adjusted under the revised programme.
TPU supplies both power and water in University Place, where it reported a combined 16,302 customers, including 345 commercial drinking-water accounts. The utility urged customers to comment during the approval process and pointed to conservation programmes, leak repairs and real-time consumption data from automated meters as tools to manage bills.
This summary was generated by AI based on the source document and may contain errors.
Source: City Council, University Place City of