St. Petersburg City Council has approved adjustments to water, wastewater, reclaimed water, stormwater and sanitation utility rates and charges for the upcoming fiscal year, including adjustments to charges for notification of past due accounts.

Changes will go into effect on Oct. 1, 2021. Adjustments to sanitation and stormwater fees will be in October utility bills and adjustments to water and wastewater fees will be in November utility bills. The average utility customer will see an increase to their utility bill. The new rates for each utility service can be found at stpete.org/rates.

A single-family residence with water and wastewater usage of 4,000 gallons can expect the below typical change to their monthly bill:

• Customers in Stormwater Tier 1: $6.61 increase
• Customers in Stormwater Tier 2: $7.48 increase
• Customers in Stormwater Tier 3: $8.48 increase
• Customers in Stormwater Tier 4: $9.83 increase

The City of St. Petersburg has compiled resources to help customers adjust to the new utility rates. Extended payment plans, assistance programs, water conservation rebates and more are available to those who qualify. Customers are encouraged to learn more in the Utility Rate Changes Toolkit at stpete.org/rates. Questions can be directed to 727-893-7280.

City of St. Petersburg utility rates and charges are evaluated during the annual budget process and are adopted annually upon City Council approval. Utility fees support the continued efforts to enhance the reliability of the city’s drinking water, wastewater, reclaimed water, stormwater and sanitation utilities. Fees also support the operations, maintenance and infrastructure of those utilities to meet the current and future needs of our community. Revenues from utility fees are directly tied to the costs of the specific utility they support. For example, stormwater fees directly support the functions that assist with planning, operations and maintenance of the stormwater system, which helps mitigate flooding, enhance water quality and minimize the environmental impact of stormwater pollution.

Utility fees are vitally important in supporting St. Pete’s aging infrastructure, most of which has reached or exceeded its design lifespan. The City continues to work on and incorporate utility master plan projects through the annual rate study program which support the continued resiliency and sustainability of City utility systems. Utility fees will continue to be evaluated every year to support infrastructure projects and master planning programs.

In 2019, the City implemented a tiered rate structure for stormwater fees. Single-family residential properties are classified into tiers, based on the square footage of impervious surface area (surfaces that water runs off) on their property. This fee structure more accurately reflects each property’s impact on the stormwater system during rainfall events. Multi-family (i.e. commercial) properties continue to be charged based on the square footage of impervious surface area of their property. The impervious surface area measurement for a specific property can be found in the Stormwater Review and Appeals Portal found at stpete.org/rates. Through this portal, customers can submit an appeal for re-evaluation if they feel the property has been measured incorrectly.