Board also adopts rates and charges, with rates that differ by community based on the services each area receives
Washington County, Oregon—The Clean Water Services (CWS) Board of Directors voted unanimously on June 9 to adopt the Fiscal Year 2026-27 budget and the rates and charges that fund sewer and stormwater services across the Tualatin River Watershed. The adopted budget and rates take effect July 1, 2026, the start of the fiscal year.
The CWS Budget Committee — composed of the five-member CWS Board of Directors and five community representatives from the Clean Water Services Advisory Commission — received public comment on May 8 and voted to approve the proposed Fiscal Year 2026-27 budget and recommend it for adoption by the Board. On June 9, the Board held public hearings for the CWS budget, rates and charges, and pay plan for nonrepresented employees, and unanimously adopted all three. The Board also adopted the CWS Capital Improvement Plan for Fiscal Years 2027-2031.
The total Fiscal Year 2026-27 budget is $675.3 million, compared to last year’s adopted budget of $752.2 million. See the Budget at a Glance and the full Fiscal Year 2026-27 budget document for more on the budget components.
“I feel very confident that we are making the right decisions here, and that a very thorough review has been completed,” Board Director Jason Snider said during the June 9 public hearing.
The agency worked hard to “put together a strong, fiscally responsible budget,” Chief Financial Officer Kathleen Leader said. Leader cited cost-saving measures such as no added full-time staff positions in the new fiscal year. CWS also ultimately proposed a budget for materials and services that was $1.4 million less than initially requested.
Details on the annual budget process are available on the CWS Budgets and Financial Planning page. Final adopted versions of the Fiscal Year 2026-27 budget and the adopted rates and charges will be posted there once completed.
Rates for Fiscal Year 2026-27
CWS rates depend on where a customer lives and which services CWS provides there.
For customers in communities that receive regional service only, the adopted regional rate increase for Fiscal Year 2026-27 is about 4 percent, or less than $2 per month for a typical household. For customers that CWS bills directly for both local and regional services, the adopted increase is about 6.4 percent, or roughly $4.28 per month for the average residential customer.
About $1.89 of the $4.28 reflects a 21 percent increase in local sewer rates. CWS’ recently updated cost of service study found that local rates had not been keeping pace with the cost of delivering local services, particularly sanitary sewer.
The cost of service study looked at the actual cost of providing service in different communities, including the cost of operating and maintaining infrastructure, how the system is used, and the investments needed to keep service reliable over time. The study identified how costs should be allocated to regional and local customers for sanitary sewer service and surface water management. The Board adopted the cost allocation methodology, which is the basis of CWS’ 10-year financial plan and rate development.
Even with the adopted rate adjustments, CWS rates remain competitive with other utilities in Oregon and across the region. The chart below compares monthly combined sewer and stormwater rates across area utilities. It shows the CWS rates adopted for FY 2026-27 compared to last year’s rates for other utilities.
Whether their bill comes from a partner city or directly from CWS, every ratepayer contributes to protecting the health of the people, wildlife, and environment of the region.
By planning and using data to guide decisions, Clean Water Services works to keep rates fair, transparent, and aligned with the services communities rely on every day. More detail is available in the Rates FAQs and in a recent blog post on how CWS sets rates for the community.
Regional vs. Local Services
CWS delivers regional services across the entire 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.
Local services cover the parts of the system closer to home, including neighborhood pipes and stormwater systems, response to service issues, street sweeping, and flood management.
Seven partner cities — Beaverton, Cornelius, Forest Grove, Hillsboro, Sherwood, Tigard, and Tualatin — provide local services within their city limits and set their own local rates. Residents of those cities see the cost of local and regional services on their city utility bill.
In Banks, Durham, Gaston, King City, North Plains, and unincorporated urban Washington County, CWS provides both regional and local services, and both appear on the CWS bill.
New CWS General Manager
Board Vice Chair Jerry Willey acknowledged that the June 9 Board meeting was the first for new General Manager Rahim Harji since joining Clean Water Services on May 28, 2026.
“Welcome to the team,” Director Willey said. “You certainly have brought great leadership to Clean Water Services, and we are very happy to have you aboard.”
Clean Water Services (CWS) is a county service district organized under Oregon Revised Statute 451. CWS works with Washington County and 12 partner cities to provide sewer and stormwater services in the urban areas of the Tualatin River Watershed. The CWS Board of Directors is made up of elected officials who also serve as Washington County Commissioners.
