In a notable turn of events, the Board of Directors chose to lower the wastewater volumetric rate by more than 17% on utility bills for customers in Trophy Club and portions of Westlake. All other water volumetric and base rates will remain the same as last year. The rate reduction was adopted at the March 18 Board Meeting and will take effect April 1, 2026. Customers will see the new rates applied to the bill they receive in May.

In keeping with best practices, the District reviews water and wastewater rates with a consultant each year. The moderate decrease in wastewater rates benefits customers while continuing infrastructure improvements and fully funding budget reserves in case an unexpected issue arises.

The reduction is due in large part to the efforts of the District to annually evaluate and proactively clean and repair wastewater lines and manholes in the system. The District wastewater system is divided into 16 sections based on general topography called basins. To date, 55% of the system has been evaluated and repaired. In addition, improvements have been made to other wastewater system components such as lift stations and the wastewater treatment plant.

The phased evaluation began in 2021. The process identifies system defects and provides a framework for rehabilitating, repairing or replacing an asset as part of the Capital Improvement Plan. By investing early in the replacement of old infrastructure for your public water system, we are improving reliability and reducing the maintenance and operational costs far into the future.

The wastewater system is the infrastructure most people never see. It’s imperative that it continues to provide reliable service because wastewater problems really stink.