Understanding Changes in Your Utility Bill Fees
In recent months, the Wilsonville City Council has adopted an increase in both sewer and stormwater utility fees paid by residential, commercial, and industrial customers. These increases are to fund necessary capital improvements to maintain these critical systems.
Residents should expect to see an increase in rates as these newly-adopted rates take effect. The April 2026 statement was the first to reflect the increase in stormwater fees, which increased from $11.90 to $17.65 per month.
The May 2026 bill is the first to reflect the sewer fee increase. Understanding the impact of new sewer fees requires more than simple math because the sewer system isn’t metered; fees are based on household water consumption.
How sewer usage is calculated
Because sewer usage is not metered, the City determines your usage based on wintertime water usage (when residents aren’t watering lawns).
Your water consumption is recorded on your statement in a measurement known as CCF. One CCF = 100 cubic feet of water (about 748 gallons used). Most residential customers consume 5 CCF per month during winter months.
Each April, winter use is recalculated based upon CCF units consumed during the previous winter; the City uses the monthly average of CCFs consumed between November and March. It is not uncommon for CCF usage to change from one year to the next. It may go up or down, typically by one unit. The highlighted text above shows where your CCF winter average appears on your utility bill.
The monthly bill also includes your water usage over the last 13 months, demonstrating how summer irrigation impacts water usage.
Generally, as the image shows, wintertime water usage remains steady and provides a good basis for estimating sewer charges. A spike in usage may indicate a water leak that you need to fix. Click here for a guide to next steps if you think you may have a leak.
Understanding your bill
Because the annual adjustment in CCF coincides with the rate increase, understanding your bill may require closer examination.
Effective with the May 2026 billing cycle, the new base sewer fee is $23.12 (up $3.28 per month). The base fee includes two CCF. Subsequent CCFs are billed at a fee of $10.31 per unit (up $1.46 per month).
- Customers whose CCF usage did not change should expect to pay about $5-8 more per month in sewer fees as a result of the rate increase. A resident consuming 5 CCF would pay $7.76 more ($3.28 + $1.46 + $1.46 + $1.46) per month.
- A resident whose recalculated CCF usage decreased might see a slightly lower monthly fee in spite of the rate increase.
- A resident whose CCF usage increased over last year may notice a more substantial increase that reflects the rate increase AND an increase in CCF consumed.
- A resident whose CCF usage increased because of a verified water leak that has been repaired can request an adjustment and/or a recalculation of winter CCF usage.
If you have additional questions, please contact a Utility Billing representative during business hours at 503-570-1610 or e-mail utility@wilsonvilleoregon.gov.
