Washougal City Council approves rate increases for utilities

Washougal utility customers will see increases in water, sewer and stormwater bills for the next five years.

The Washougal City Council adopted the new utility rates at a Monday meeting.

The council said increases for 2024-28 will be less than 3 percent per year for single-family ratepayers.

The increases to the city’s water, sewer and stormwater utility rates will be slightly less (2.31 percent in 2024) for multi-family customers and slightly more (3.26 percent in 2024) for commercial users.

An average bill for a single family that had paid $263 bi-monthly for water, sewer and stormwater in 2023 would pay around $270 in 2024. With an average system-wide rate increase of 2.9 percent annually, that would increase to $303 by January 2028.

The city offers two options for utility bill relief to residents — discounted rates for low-income seniors and an emergency utility assistance program, which provides low-income customers with a grant of up to $250 once per year.

Residents must be eligible for the federal government’s Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program to participate in the city’s emergency utility assistance program.

For more information, visit www.cityofwashougal.us/169/Utility-Billing.