Aurora Water is considering a 2027 rate schedule that would increase residential water charges by 3.5% and sewer and stormwater charges by 6.5%. The proposal would also raise rates by 1% for multifamily customers, 2% for commercial customers and 14% for irrigation users, according to Sentinel Colorado.
How the proposed residential rates would change
For a residence using up to 5,000 gallons, the proposed water-rate change would add about 20 cents to the charge. The listed rate for 6,000 to 10,000 gallons would increase by 26 cents to $7.56; the 11,000-to-19,000-gallon rate would rise 36 cents to $10.78; and the rate for more than 20,000 gallons would increase 51 cents to $15.11, Sentinel Colorado reported.
The proposal is not yet an approved rate increase. Aurora Water spokesperson Marshall Brown told Sentinel Colorado that water costs are likely to continue rising as the utility faces higher expenses connected to construction, maintenance, treatment and monitoring.
Why sewer and stormwater charges are rising faster
Aurora Water said sewer and stormwater expenses are putting more pressure on this year’s rates than water costs. Brown attributed part of the proposed 6.5% increase to higher charges from Metro Water Recovery that are passed through to local customers, according to Sentinel Colorado. Metro Water Recovery serves more than 2 million people through 65 local governments and special districts, including Aurora, and operates the Robert W. Hite Treatment Facility and the Northern Treatment Plant, according to the agency.
Aurora also expects aging stormwater facilities to require additional spending. Sentinel Colorado reported that the proposal would increase water and stormwater development fees charged to builders by 5%.
The utility’s 2027 financial plan
Aurora Water’s proposed combined operating budget for water and wastewater is $258.5 million for 2027, up $8.1 million, or 3.2%, from 2026. The plan includes higher mandated costs for utilities, ditch assessments, sewer and stormwater services. Estimated revenue is $276.8 million for water and $133.1 million for wastewater, according to Sentinel Colorado.
The proposed schedule therefore contains two distinct changes for customers: a 3.5% increase for residential water service and a 6.5% increase for sewer and stormwater service. The rates and the operating budget remain part of the city’s proposal.
Long-term construction plans
Aurora’s five-year capital plan calls for $2.2 billion in water projects and $159.4 million in wastewater projects from 2027 through 2031. About $400 million is assigned to water-treatment-facility improvements, while the largest individual project is the planned $1.3 billion Wild Horse Reservoir, Sentinel Colorado reported.
The reservoir remains in planning and pre-permitting. The Wild Horse Reservoir Project says environmental review and permitting are expected to take at least two more years. If approvals are secured, construction could begin in the late 2020s or early 2030s. Aurora Water has contracted Flatiron, Dragados USA and Sukut Construction for three years of pre-construction services, and the project could require as many as 600 workers at its peak.
Water supply conditions add pressure
The proposed increases come as Aurora manages lower-than-usual storage. Aurora’s reservoirs were about 58% full in late March, roughly 10% below the typical level for that point in the year, according to Colorado Politics. The city has adopted measures including a nonfunctional-turf ban and xeric or low-water landscaping requirements, the publication reported.
Denver Water has also proposed a 2027 increase: a 6% revenue increase that Colorado Politics said would raise the average monthly bill for a Denver single-family household from $56.97 to $60.21. Aurora’s current rates are listed on the City of Aurora rates page.
Separate pressure on the city budget
The water proposal comes alongside broader municipal budget reductions. Aurora’s general fund had a $19 million gap for 2027, and the city is preparing $10.2 million in spending cuts, according to a separate Sentinel Colorado report. Residents could therefore face proposed utility increases while the city reduces or changes some general-fund services.
