Richardson utility customers started paying new water and wastewater rates on Oct. 1, though most will not see the difference until their November bills arrive.
The increases are part of the city's 2026-27 budget. The city says they respond to what the North Texas Municipal Water District charges the city for treated water, which has gone up, rising operating expenses and the work needed to keep aging pipes and plants in shape.
What changes on the bill
Monthly base charges now depend on meter size. Most homes in Richardson have a three-quarter-inch meter, and for those customers the base charge for water and the base charge for wastewater each rise from $8 to $9.60 a month. The city has adopted a five-year rate plan that steps that base charge up gradually until it reaches $20 in 2030.
Volume rates, the per-gallon charges tied to how much water a household actually uses, are going up as well.
Residents older than 65 with three-quarter-inch or one-inch meters keep the $8 base charge for both services. Their volume rates will change along with everyone else's.
A new sewer formula
The city is also revising how it estimates a household's wastewater use for billing.