Proposed sewer fee hikes could increase your bill significantly over the next decade

HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) – The City and County of Honolulu’s Department of Environmental Services (ENV) announced Wednesday a plan to increase sewer fees over a 10-year period.
The city says the increases – which are the first proposed increases since 2016 – are essential to fund critical improvements to its wastewater infrastructure, ensure operations continue to meet regulatory requirements, and protect both public health and the environment.
The rate increases start with a 9% annual adjustment for the first six years, followed by smaller increases of 8%, 7%, 6%, and 5% in the final four years. These gradual increases result in a total increase of 115% over the 10-year period.
If approved by the Honolulu City Council, the increases would start next July as follows:
“We stalled making this decision as long as we possibly could, but this inevitable,” said Honolulu Mayor Rick Blangiardi. “This is about the future of our island. We understand the impact of fixed incomes. We just understand it’s an increased cost of living.”
Oahu resident Vince George said, “We’re paying more for groceries. We’re paying more for everything, and these young kids that are getting out of school, they’ll never afford a home in Hawaii.”
According to the city, the additional fees will support rising operation and maintenance costs, as well as multiple upcoming necessary construction projects, including the completion of the $2.5 billion upgrade of the Sand Island Wastewater Treatment Plant to full secondary treatment — a required project under the City’s 2010 federal consent decree.
The fee increases will also fund necessary repairs and upgrades to modernize Oahu’s aging wastewater collection and treatment infrastructure, including projects to prepare the City’s wastewater infrastructure for climate change and sea-level rise.
“By investing in these infrastructure upgrades today, we are safeguarding public health, protecting our environment, and ensuring that Oahu is prepared for the future challenges of climate change. These improvements are essential for our community’s well-being,” said Blangiardi.
To help offset the impact on low-income households, the city says households earning less than 80% of the area median income (AMI) may qualify for a monthly credit of $20 to $25 on their fixed sewer charge.
Additionally, ENV will be adjusting the basis for how sewer fees are calculated to give customers greater control over the amount of their bill.
Sewer bills include a fixed (or base) charge, currently about 70% of the bill, and volumetric charge based on water use, currently about 30% of the bill. Over the next four years, these percentages will gradually shift to a 50/50, fixed-to-volumetric ratio. This shift to a greater amount of the fee based upon water usage will allow customers to pay significantly lower fees if they reduce their water use.
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