Irving's City Council has taken first-reading action on ordinances addressing water, wastewater and drainage rates.
The proposed ordinances cover water, wastewater and drainage rates.
Regional Utility Costs
Regional water and wastewater treatment costs are rising.
Dallas Water Utilities supplies treated water, wastewater and stormwater services to roughly 2.6 million people across Dallas and 27 wholesale customer communities in North Texas, operating three treatment plants with a combined daily capacity of 900 million gallons, according to Dallas City Hall. That regional scale means Irving is one of many cities absorbing the wholesale provider's rising costs onto local bills.
Capital Projects Driving Long-Term Costs
Irving has discussed water and wastewater pipeline work, an advanced-metering maintenance agreement and a schedule for replacing advanced-metering equipment.
Drainage capital work includes improvements at North Delaware Creek.
How Irving's Utilities Are Funded
Water and wastewater rates are intended to cover service expenses and capital costs.
The rate increases arrive the same fiscal year Irving's city council unanimously adopted a $1.16 billion overall municipal budget on September 10, 2026, while keeping the municipal property tax rate steady at $0.5891 per $100 of assessed valuation, Rambler Texas Media reported. Hoodline previously covered Irving's $343.8M budget adoption, which included a $213 million Capital Improvement Program allocation for public safety, street repairs, water systems, drainage and facility upgrades in the prior fiscal year.
Not Just an Irving Problem
In neighboring Farmers Branch, water and sewer rate scenarios remain under discussion; its retail rates had been flat since 2019.
The trend extends well beyond North Texas. A national report released by Food & Water Watch in October 2026 found that typical household drinking water bills across the 500 largest U.S. water systems rose 62% between 2015 and 2025, 19% faster than household incomes. The American Water Works Association estimates U.S. drinking water systems will need up to $2.4 trillion in capital investments over the next 25 years to maintain and modernize aging infrastructure, according to WOWO News.
A trash estimate is $35.25 per month.
