Each year, Clean Water Services (CWS) develops an annual budget and sets rates to support essential wastewater and stormwater services across Washington County. These decisions help ensure that our communities have the infrastructure and services we need to protect public health, reduce flooding, and keep our waterways clean. Any changes to rates for the upcoming fiscal year would take effect on July 1.
The rates you see on your bill will vary depending on where you live and how services are provided in your community.
CWS delivers regional services across the entire Tualatin River Watershed. These are the large, shared parts of the system: treatment facilities, major pipes and pump stations, and the work required to protect water quality and meet regulatory requirements.
In addition to regional services, there are also local services that include maintaining neighborhood pipes and stormwater systems, responding to service issues, street sweeping, and flood management.
Seven partner cities — Beaverton, Cornelius, Forest Grove, Hillsboro, Sherwood, Tigard, and Tualatin — provide local services in their communities, typically within city limits, and set their own local rates. Residents of these cities see the costs of local and regional services reflected on their city utility bill.
In other communities, CWS provides both regional and local services. In those areas, both are included in a CWS bill.
Whether our bill comes from the city we live in or from CWS, we all contribute to protecting the health of the people, wildlife, and the environment of our region through the rates we pay. Ratepayer investment in critical sewer and stormwater systems and services helps make our communities livable.
Proposed Rates
For the upcoming fiscal year, customers in communities that receive regional service only are projected to see an average increase of about 4 percent — less than $2 per month for a typical household. Customers in communities that receive both local and regional services from CWS will see an average increase of about 6.4 percent, or roughly $4 per month for a typical household.
These rates are developed using a cost of service study that looks at the actual cost of providing service in different communities. This analysis includes the cost of operating and maintaining infrastructure, how the system is used, and the investments needed to maintain reliable service over time. The goal is to ensure that rates are fair, proportional to the services provided, and as predictable as possible from year to year.
Even with these updates, CWS rates remain competitive with other utilities in Oregon and across the region. The charts below provide a snapshot of how rates for local and regional services compare across the area.
FY 27 Rate Comparison with Regional Utilities
For communities that receive both local and regional services, proposed CWS rates for Fiscal Year 2027 are competitive with other regional utilities.
For ratepayers, these charges support the operation, maintenance, and long-term improvement of the wastewater and stormwater system. This includes maintaining infrastructure, planning for future needs, and investing in innovations that help manage costs over time.
Budget Process
CWS is committed to an open and transparent budget process. Each spring, the proposed budget is made available for public review, followed by Budget Committee meetings and a public hearing before the Board of Directors adopts the final budget and final rates in June. Community members are encouraged to learn more about the proposal and share feedback as part of that process.
Visit our Budget and Financial Planning page for updates on the budget process, opportunities to participate, and to sign up to receive informational emails about public meetings.
By planning ahead and using data to guide decisions, Clean Water Services works to keep rates fair, predictable, and aligned with the services communities rely on every day.
