Milliken says 2026 water rates rose 35% on average as some meter billing errors surfaced
The city says base charges rose 15% and consumption rates 45%. Some replacement meters led to delayed or higher-tier billing; residents who question a bill can ask Town Hall to review the account.
Milliken’s 2026 water rates increased by an average of 35%, and the city said some residents may also have seen billing increases caused by communication problems during the replacement of smart water meters.
The city said a review of the water fund in fall 2025 found that 2025 rates would not cover the fund’s operating and capital needs. The base rate increased 15% in January, while consumption rates increased 45%.
For a household using 2,200 gallons in winter, the bill would increase 23%, according to the city. For the same household using 22,000 gallons for outdoor watering, the bill would increase 41% during those months. A household that waters outdoors for six months and does not water during the other six would see a total annual increase of 38%.
The city said some new meters did not communicate correctly with the reading system. In those cases, the billing system used the previous meter’s reading or an average from earlier months, then billed accumulated consumption after the new meter was read correctly. The city gave an example of a household with actual monthly use of 20,000 gallons being billed for 5,000 gallons in June and 35,000 gallons in July. The city said the system should have prevented the additional consumption from being charged at a higher tier, but some accounts were not adjusted correctly. Residents who believe their bills are incorrect can contact Milliken Town Hall for a review.