WATER AND WASTEWATER RETAIL RATE ADJUSTMENT REPORT

Board of County Commissioners · 2026-07-21 · report

Miami-Dade County is proposing a 6% water and wastewater retail rate adjustment for the Miami-Dade Water and Sewer Department (WASD), effective October 1, 2026. This adjustment is necessary to fund infrastructure improvements required by a Consent Decree with the United States and the State of Florida, the State-mandated Ocean Outfall Legislation Program, Advanced Metering Infrastructure implementation, and other critical regulatory requirements. The proposed adjustment is projected to generate approximately $65.6 million in annual revenue, supporting approximately $435 million in bond financing for projects. Failure to implement the rate increase could lead to the suspension of critical projects, potential violations of federal orders, financial penalties, and increased future rate hikes. The document lists numerous Professional Service Agreements (PSAs) and construction projects that would be cancelled or significantly reduced if the rate adjustment is not approved, impacting contractors such as Jacobs Engineering, AECOM, Hazen and Sawyer, Black and Veatch, and others. The report indicates that even with the proposed adjustment, average combined water and sewer bills will remain below 1% of the median household income and below the average of comparable utilities.