Posted: Dec. 11, 2024

Centennial Water and Sanitation District adopted its 2025 budget and rates at its Dec. 10 board of directors meeting. Water and wastewater rates are increasing an average of 6% for residential and commercial customers of Centennial Water, which includes residents of Highlands Ranch and Solstice. The increase is necessary to strengthen the reliability of the district’s water and wastewater system.

The value customers receive from water rates goes beyond what comes out of your tap. It is an investment in public health, environmental stewardship, and the long-term sustainability of the water supply for the community.

Water rates fund operations and maintenance including staffing, treatment chemicals, utilities, ongoing repair and maintenance of facilities, capital reinvestment, water acquisition and debt service.

The estimated annual water and wastewater bill for a typical single-family residence with a 7,500 sq. ft. lot will be $1,286. Customers will see the rate increase reflected on their first full billing cycle in 2025. This is broken into the following charges on the average Centennial Water residential customer’s annual bills totaled over the year’s six billing cycles:

•  Water usage $530
• Service Availability Fee - $230
• Wastewater Usage - $256
• Wastewater fixed fee - $180
• Infrastructure Improvement Fee - $90

“Financial strength is crucial to delivering reliable water services, and we are committed to balancing this responsibility with fairness to our customers” said General Manager Sam Calkins. “We understand rate increases are difficult, and making the decision to adjust rates is equally challenging for us. These decisions are never made lightly, but they are necessary to ensure we can deliver the same great service today while responsibly investing in the future.”

To learn more about Centennial Water’s budget and rates, visit centennialwater.og or email finance@highlandsranch.org.