Broomfield adopts 7% utility-rate increases for 2027
The changes take effect Jan. 1, with customers expected to see them on February bills. Staff estimates a typical single-family household will pay about $9.31 more per month.
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Broomfield City Council unanimously adopted an ordinance Oct. 27 raising water, wastewater, reclaimed-water and stormwater rates by 7% in 2027. The changes take effect Jan. 1, and customers are expected to see them on February bills because the city bills in arrears, according to the council meeting recording.
Staff estimated the new rates will add about $9.31 a month to a typical single-family household’s bill, bringing it to roughly $146. The estimate assumes monthly use of 9,000 gallons of water and 6,000 gallons of sewer service. Staff put the current bill at about $136 and said the increase is approximately 6.8%; a federally mandated sewer charge will not increase.
The city says the rate increases will help fund utility-system projects and address rising water-supply and treatment costs. The Oct. 27 agenda packet and adopted ordinance project wastewater-treatment expansion phases will cost more than $500 million and say building sewer reserves can reduce future borrowing.
The ordinance keeps tiered rates for nonresidential water accounts. Rates per 1,000 gallons are $3.96 for the first 39,999 gallons, $4.30 for 40,000 to 149,999 gallons, $5.40 for 150,000 to 1,499,999 gallons, and $9.80 above 1.5 million gallons; each rate applies only to water used within that tier. Irrigation accounts remain at $3.96 per 1,000 gallons. Staff said the tier structure is designed to limit the effect on routine indoor business use while charging more for high summer-peak use, under the proposed rate plan.
The ordinance also raises one-time water and sewer license fees and the reclaimed-water connection fee by roughly 4%. These connection-related charges are not monthly rate increases for existing utility customers.
The city packet reports that 842 Utility Rate Assistance Fund applications had been initiated in 2026 as of the packet’s preparation: 633 had been processed and 209 were in progress. Those figures count application activity, not households approved for or receiving assistance.