The Gilbert Town Council voted unanimously to approve utility rate increases for water and solid waste & recycling services for Gilbert residents and businesses.

The vote happened during the public hearing portion of the Council’s regularly scheduled meeting on Tuesday, February 6, 2024.

The new rates are set to go into effect with the April 2024 billing cycle.

Gilbert residential and business customers were invited to attend a Customer Open House on January 24, 2024 to learn more about the rate increase proposal, Gilbert’s current and future infrastructure projects, and the next steps for the Gilbert Town Council.

 

Watch the presentation.

The Gilbert Town Council approved the adoption of a Notice of Intent to increase utility rates and fees for water and solid waste & recycling services at the regular council meeting on November 28, 2023.

 

 View the Presentation

 View the Rate Study

On November 6, 2023, Gilbert staff presented to Town Council again about upcoming need to increase rates for water and solid waste and recycling services.

  

View the Presentation

The Gilbert Public Works Advisory Board recommends:

• The Gilbert Town Council approve a Notice of Intent to increase rates and fees at its November 28, 2023 Council Meeting
  
  
• Set a Public Hearing Date of February 6, 2024
  
  
• Consider the "Cash/Bond Gradual Option" for increasing revenues
  
  
• Town Council directs Town Staff to research additional ways the Town may be able to provide or connect residents in need with financial assistance or utility bill relief

Read the full recommendation letter from Gilbert's Public Works Advisory Board here.

In October 2023,  Gilbert Staff presented to the Public Works Advisory Board on the upcoming need to increase Water and Solid Waste & Recycling Rates.

October 16 Meeting - View Presentation

October 30 Meeting - View Presentation

On March 2, 2023, Gilbert staff presented to Town Council the upcoming need to increase Water and Solid Waste & Recycling (formerly called Environmental Services) Rates.

Watch presentation

View PDF of presentation

The Town Council provided staff the direction to complete a rate study to identify the amount of increases needed to keep these two user-fee funded services balanced over the long term.

 

Residents experiencing financial hardship can visit gilbertaz.gov/CommunityResources to find information about utility payment assistance and other community resources.

Have questions or comments about utility rates?

Email Utility.Rates@gilbertaz.gov.

Water and Solid Waste & Recycling rates last underwent changes in 2022. The new rates reflected the increased costs to operate utility services since 2018, when the previous rate increase occurred.

Gilbert provides four utility services to most customers. To reduce the possibility of all four rates being increased at once, in 2021, Council made the decision to routinely review rates for utility services on a cycle. This also helps each utility respond more quickly to market forces that affect the cost to provide that service.

Utility rates are a type of user fee. The rates cover direct operating costs, reserves for replacement and repair, and debt service. User fees are collected by Gilbert and kept in an enterprise fund, which is separate from property and sales tax dollars, and can only be used for the cost of operating the specific service. User fees are assessed monthly and determined based on individual use or level of service.

No. Gilbert’s utilities operate as separate financial business units from the rest of municipal government services. This means that rate revenue is not used to pay for things like police, fire, parks or streets services. It also means that tax revenue is not used to support utilities.

Gilbert charges System Development Fees (SDFs) to new developments for adding capacity to all utilities. SDFs are separate from monthly utility rates.

Revenue derived from utility rates goes directly to operation and maintenance of the utility that provides the daily service that residents and businesses receive; it is not used to expand the system for new growth.

In 2012 and again in 2018, Town Council reduced the rate for Solid Waste & Recycling, by 7.5% each time. Rates for water and solid waste & recycling services are reviewed every other year by the Town of Gilbert to see if changes need to be made. The Council has in the past reduced utility rates when there is a surplus in enterprise funds.

Gilbert reviews the fiscal health of utilities each year as part of the annual budget development process. Given the cost pressures associated with utility operations nationwide, rate increases are likely to be recommended in the future. 

Gilbert is proposing a rate change for Solid Waste & Recycling services in 2024.

Single-family residential houses in Gilbert are all customers of this utility.

Residents pay a monthly refuse fee depending on the size of their container in order to have their trash and recycling properly disposed of. As an added bonus, residents enjoy bulk trash pickup once every 5 weeks, with the exception of the weeks of Thanksgiving and Christmas. Learn more about how Gilbert has worked to slim down on bulk trash disposal through donations and recycling efforts. As a resident of Gilbert, you can also enjoy the services of the Household Hazardous Waste Facility, where items not meant for the landfill can be properly disposed of.

Businesses and other commercial establishments in Gilbert have a choice on trash hauling services.

Gilbert is proposing a rate change for Water services in 2024.

If you receive safe and reliable drinking water at your Gilbert home, business, school, or church, you are a Gilbert water utility customer.

To be able to deliver on-demand potable drinking water for your needs, a tremendous amount of infrastructure must be maintained, including:

• 88,081 water meters
• 38,769 water isolation valves
• 13,392 fire hydrants
• 1,474 miles of underground water lines
• 18 Wells to meet peak demands from water customers
• 2 drinking water treatment plants:
  • North Water Treatment Plant produces up to 45 million gallons per day. This Plant is currently undergoing reconstruction to meet the needs of our community.
  • Santan Vista Water Treatment Plant produces up to 24 million gallons per day
• Pumps and reservoirs throughout Gilbert’s service area to ensure optimal water pressure

Wastewater rates will not change this fiscal year. 

After bathing, washing dishes, laundry, and flushing, where does your water go? If you are sending your water down the drain and into the Gilbert sanitary sewer system, then you are a customer of this utility. Live in a county island? You likely don’t see this sewer portion on your bill because many of those residential properties maintain their own septic systems. Transporting and treating business’ and residents’ wastewater is a complex endeavor. Energy and chemical cost increases affect this utility as it takes large amounts of both to transport and treat wastewater to proper standards for health and safety.

In order to safely remove and treat your generated wastewater 24/7, 365 days a year, Gilbert maintains:

• 22,096 sewer manholes to access, inspect, and repair sewer pipelines
• 853 miles of Gilbert-maintained sewer collection system pipelines
• 16 lift stations to pump wastewater
• 2 water reclamation plants where wastewater is treated and purified
  • Greenfield Water Reclamation Plant is permitted to produce up to 12million gallons of reclaimed water per day for Gilbert
  • Neely Water Reclamation Plant is permitted to produce up to 11 million gallons of reclaimed water per day.

Environmental Compliance rates will not change this fiscal year. 

 This utility service is provided as part of State and Federal environmental protection requirements. For stormwater and air quality pollution prevention, there are (unfunded) state and Federal mandates Gilbert must comply with. If we are not in compliance, we can be fined at a rate of $70,000 per violation per day.

To remain in compliance, we must implement measures such as street sweeping, monitoring stormwater outfalls, enforcing drywell and retention basin operation and maintenance, and monitoring air quality activities of generators and at construction sites to ensure we comply with state and federal laws and protect our environment.

 

Reclaimed Water Rates will not change this fiscal year. 

Reclaimed water customers receive A+ quality treated effluent, the highest possible rating from the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality. Effluent, or reclaimed water, is wastewater that has been purified.

Reclaimed water is suitable for use on landscapes and in manmade lake features, and decreases the demands on the potable (drinking water) system. Reclaimed water is sold at a lower rate per 1,000 gallons than potable water due to the lower treatment and delivery cost of this water supply. Reclaimed water that is not purchased by customers is recharged back into the ground by the Town.

Learn more about reclaimed water use and take a virtual tour of the system, from production to use and recharge.