Memphis residents are about to pay more to flush. This week the Memphis City Council signed off on a citywide sewer fee hike, approving an ordinance that reshapes how single-family homes and apartment tenants are billed for wastewater service. The measure rolls out new monthly minimums and caps, creates a flat fee for apartment renters, and locks in per-1,000-gallon charges that kick in during 2027 and 2028.
Ordinance No. 5975 amends Chapters 33 and 13-28 of the city code and lays out a revised fee structure that city officials say is meant to stabilize the sewer system’s finances. It sets a residential maximum volume fee of $126.55 and a monthly minimum of $14.55 per dwelling unit, and it authorizes an apartment tenant flat charge of $17.45 per month from January 1, 2027, through June 30, 2028, rising to $21.80 starting July 1, 2028. For customers who qualify for the Solid Waste Fee Discount Program, the ordinance provides reduced per-1,000-gallon rates of $3.25 from January 1, 2027, through June 30, 2028, and $4.05 thereafter, according to public notice materials published in the Memphis Daily News.
Why the City Raised Rates
City officials argue the higher bills are needed to help pay for major upgrades at the T.E. Maxson and M.C. Stiles wastewater treatment plants and to satisfy long-standing federal mandates. The facilities and the Environmental Engineering division’s role are outlined on the City of Memphis website, and the ordinance cites Memphis’s obligations under a federal consent decree with the Environmental Protection Agency and the Department of Justice, described in court filings summarized at Justia.
How Households and Renters Could Be Affected
Local coverage of the vote notes that the higher sewer charges will begin appearing on MLGW bills next year for many customers, while apartment owners will be allowed to pass along a flat monthly fee to tenants. The council’s approval and a brief video recap of the decision are available from LocalMemphis.
What the Ordinance Changed
The public notice for the ordinance links the higher fees directly to construction and rehabilitation work at the Maxson and Stiles plants and to the broader compliance costs associated with the federal consent decree. It also states that the hikes are intended to “restore the Sewer Fund's Revenue Bond rating” after a recent downgrade, language that appears in the city’s notice published in the Memphis Daily News.
How to Get Help or More Information
Residents who have questions about the new sewer charges can contact the city’s Environmental Engineering division, which lists its mailing address as “125 N. Main Street, Room #608” and provides a phone line for inquiries on its website. For official documents, detailed fee schedules, and billing information, visit the Environmental Engineering page linked from the City of Memphis site.
Legal and Regulatory Context
The fee changes are tied directly to Memphis’s obligations under the federal consent decree that governs sanitary sewer overflows. The consent decree and related court records are summarized at Justia. The ordinance also authorizes new treatment surcharges for customers who discharge wastewater above permitted strength levels, a move that city officials describe as part of the broader compliance and financing strategy for the sewer system.
