2026 utility-rate research
US Water Rates by City: 2026 Map and Source Guide
Water bills are local, tiered, and difficult to compare. This source-backed registry converts selected city water and sewer volumetric rates to a common per-1,000-gallon basis while preserving each utility's published rate and billing context.
Interactive rate explorer
Compare current rates without losing the billing context
Select a verified city from the dropdown or map. An unshaded state means the registry does not yet contain a reviewed city, not that the state lacks public rate information.
Verified water and sewer rates by city
Sort the source-backed entries. Normalized rates enable comparison; the published-rate column preserves each utility's billing unit.
| Published combined rate | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MA | $18.30per 1,000 gallons | $18.30 | January 1, 2026 | 1.8% | |
| NY | $13.86per 100 cubic feet (748 gallons) | $18.53 | July 1, 2026 | 6.0% | |
| PA | $18.13per 1,000 gallons | $18.13 | September 1, 2026 | 7.3% |
Methodology
How the rates are selected and normalized
- Official sources first: each entry links to the responsible utility, commission, or municipal rate publication.
- Volumetric charges only: the combined figure adds the represented water and sewer usage rates. Fixed meter, stormwater, minimum, credit, and program charges are excluded unless the entry says otherwise.
- A named tier or class: when a tariff has tiers, the registry states which tier the scalar represents. It is not a citywide average bill.
- One comparison unit: hundred-cubic-foot rates are multiplied by 1,000 ÷ 748 to estimate dollars per 1,000 US gallons.
- Human review before publication: rate, unit, effective date, represented tier, and source are checked together. Cities remain unavailable until that review is complete.
Rates can change and bills can use seasonal, customer-class, minimum, or multi-tier structures. Use the linked tariff and a current bill for a property decision; this registry is a comparison aid, not a billing authority.
Why the published rate is only the start of a property review
A useful water-cost baseline separates price from billed volume. Record the utility, service period, meter size, water and sewer usage units, fixed charges, adjustments, and any estimated reads. Then compare the same operating period while accounting for occupancy, irrigation, cooling, laundry, leaks, and production.
That discipline matters when a tariff changes. A larger bill can reflect a higher rate, higher usage, a different tier, or several changes at once. The map provides the public price reference; a site assessment establishes whether a specific property has a measurable operating opportunity.
Where Flumera fits
Translate a rate into property-specific economics
Flumera reviews utility bills, meter and pipe details, access, pressure, and operating conditions before projecting savings or recommending a valve. The assessment separates the tariff effect from billed-volume changes and models purchase, lease, or shared-savings economics using the property's actual inputs.
Start a site assessmentRelated analysis
Continue the operating-cost review
Primary sources
Rate and inflation references
- NYC Water Board rates and regulationsNew York, NY · verified 2026-09-03
- Philadelphia Water Department September 2026 ratesPhiladelphia, PA · verified 2026-09-03
- Boston Water and Sewer Commission 2026 ratesBoston, MA · verified 2026-09-03
- US Bureau of Labor Statistics: July 2026 CPI detailed tableWater and sewerage maintenance index
- US Bureau of Labor Statistics: July 2026 CPI headline tableAll-items CPI-U comparison