Sewer Rates
Sewer Service Rate Increase
Effective Jan. 1, 2023, Pierce County will implement new rates per Ordinance 2021-106, adopted Nov. 16, 2021. A rate increase is necessary to support the ongoing operation and reliability of the public sewer system. Rates help fund increasing costs for preventative maintenance, regulatory requirements, and meeting growth demands in Pierce County. It also covers the operational cost of compliance with the Department of Ecology’s new nutrient reduction permit. Learn more about Ordinance No. 2021-106.
2022 & 2023 Pierce County Monthly Sewer Rates
| Customer Type | 2022 | 2023 |
|---|---|---|
| Residential | ||
| Single Family Unit | $57.34 | $59.06 |
| Multi Family Unit | $50.09 | $51.59 |
| Commercial Class 1 | ||
| Basic Service Charge | $17.16 | $17.67 |
| Volume Service Charge | $4.78 | $4.92 |
| Commercial Class 2 | ||
| Basic Service Charge | $17.16 | $17.67 |
| Volume Service Charge | $6.37 | $6.56 |
| Commercial Class 3 | ||
| Basic Service Charge | $17.16 | $17.67 |
| Volume Service Charge | $8.05 | $8.29 |
| Commercial Class 4 | ||
| Basic Service Charge | $17.16 | $17.67 |
| Volume Service Charge | $9.66 | $9.95 |
| Commercial Class 5 | ||
| Basic Service Charge | $17.16 | $17.67 |
| Volume Service Charge | $3.15 | $3.24 |
| BOD Surcharge | $0.55 | $0.57 |
| SS Surcharge | $0.62 | $0.64 |
*Additional taxes and fees are not included in the rates above.
2022 & 2023 Cascadia Monthly Sewer Rates (includes the Tehaleh development)
| Customer Type | 2022 | 2023 |
|---|---|---|
| Residential | ||
| Single Family Unit | $63.27 | $65.17 |
| Multi Family Unit | $55.72 | $57.39 |
| Commercial Class 1 | ||
| Basic Service Charge | $8.51 | $8.77 |
| Volume Service Charge | $6.55 | $6.75 |
| Commercial Class 2 | ||
| Basic Service Charge | $8.51 | $8.77 |
| Volume Service Charge | $6.55 | $6.75 |
| Commercial Class 3 | ||
| Basic Service Charge | $8.51 | $8.77 |
| Volume Service Charge | $6.55 | $6.75 |
| Commercial Class 4 | ||
| Basic Service Charge | $8.51 | $8.77 |
| Volume Service Charge | $6.55 | $6.75 |
*Additional taxes and fees are not included in the rates above.
How do Pierce County's rates compare to other western Washington sewer service providers?
Pierce County's monthly sewer rate continues to be one of the lowest in western Washington.
See the rate comparison table (monthly rates include base rates + an average water usage of 8 ccf per month).
2022 Single-Family Residential Rate Comparison
| Sewer Service Provider | Residential Rate* |
|---|---|
| City of Bonney Lake | $134.60 / $172.56 with grinder pump |
| City of Seattle (includes King County charge) | $122.41 ($73.14 + $49.27)** |
| City of Puyallup | $92.75 |
| Kitsap County | $88.27 |
| City of Sumner | $84.94 |
| City of Yelm | $82.35 |
| City of Renton (includes King County charge) | $81.01 ($31.74 + $49.27)** |
| City of Gig Harbor | $79.85 |
| City of Kent (includes King County charge) | $75.58 ($26.31 + $49.27)** |
| City of Auburn (includes King County charge) | $75.26 ($25.99 + $49.27)** |
| City of Tacoma | $69.57 |
| City of Kelso | $66.37 |
| Lacey, Olympia and Tumwater (LOTT) | $65.12 |
| Pierce County – Cascadia (Tehaleh) | $63.27 |
| Pierce County – Chambers Creek | $57.31 |
| City of Everett | $54.61 |
| City of Federal Way (Lakehaven) | $50.33 |
| City of Vancouver | $49.28 |
*Assumes single-family residential usage of 8 CCF per month (can be based on monthly water usage or a fixed amount)
** King County monthly sewer charge for treatment and conveyance: $49.27
Sewer Rate Facts
- Our mission is to provide customers with high quality, cost-effective sanitary sewer services in accordance with all applicable local, state, and federal permit requirements.
- Failure to maintain our system now could result in building moratoriums, further rate increases, DOE fines, or even system failure that could impact public health and safety.
- Pierce County's Planning and Public Works – Sewer Division has received the Washington State Department of Ecology's (DOE) Outstanding Performance Award 17 times since 1995. This award is given to sewer systems that did not have any sewer spills during the previous year.
- DOE has alerted all western Washington treatment plants that the state will require stricter water quality standards for discharge into Puget Sound in the future. Monthly sewer rates are used in part to maintain our high standard for water quality.
Phone:
(253) 798-4050
Sewer Billing & Customer Service:
(253) 798-4020
24-Hour Sewer Emergency:
(253) 798-7000
Monday–Friday
9:00 a.m.– 4:00 p.m.
Closed all major holidays
Mailing Address:
9850 64th St. W.
University Place, WA
98467-1078