photo by: Courtesy of McCarthy Building Companies Inc.

A aerial photo shows the Kansas River Wastewater Treatment Plant, 1400 E. Eighth St., along the Kansas River.

Lawrence City Commissioners will consider approving increases to the water and wastewater rates by 7.9% over the next three years.

The commissioners will receive a presentation from the Municipal Services and Operations department Tuesday night that would set those utility rates for 2026, 2027 and 2028 to increase by 7.9% year over year.

The water and wastewater rates are typically set every three years. The last time the commission set those rates was in 2022, and the rates were increased by 8.75% in 2023 10.25% in 2024 and 11% in 2025, as the Journal-World reported.

The current water and wastewater rates for 2025 would cost $46.53 and $66.95 per month, respectively, based on a volume charge of 4,000 gallons, according to numbers provided by the city’s MSO department. The proposed increase would raise monthly costs for that scenario to $50.47 and $72.50 in 2026 — just under $4 a month more for water and $5.55 more for wastewater services, respectively.

If the commission adopts the 7.9% increase until 2028, the city projects it will generate an additional $5.7 million in 2026, $6.1 million in 2027 and $6.6 million in 2028.

According to a city memo, the rate increases are necessary in part because wholesale water and wastewater treatment costs, which account for over one-half of the city’s total water and wastewater expense annually, are increasing.

Additionally, the city plans to fund over $105 million in infrastructure projects related to its water and wastewater operations over the next three years. Those projects include improvements to the Kaw River Waste Water Treatment Plant, Wakarusa Biosolids Management and projects that can expand the capacity and growth of the system.

“These changes are necessary for Lawrence to continue our high-quality services at the best value possible despite growing costs,” the city memo read.

The proposal to increase the water and wastewater utility rates comes at a time when other utility costs have increased. In July, the Kansas Corporation Commission approved an agreement with Black Hills Energy that increased residential natural gas rates by nearly $6 a month — or about 9%. Last year, the City Commission approved an increase to stormwater and solid waste rates by 7.5% and 4%, respectively — though the residential waste rate increase was smaller than the previous year.

If commissioners approve the rate proposal, the new rates would go into effect Jan. 1, 2026. Commissioners will vote on the proposal as well as considering the final adoption of the 2026 city budget. The meeting will take place at 5 p.m. Tuesday at City Hall, 6 E. Sixth St.