Cheyenne Water, Sewer Rates To Increase in October

The Cheyenne Board of Public Utilities announced on Friday that rates for city water and sewer users will increase on Oct. 1, 2026.

The Cheyenne City Council signed off on the increases at their June 8 council meeting.

That's according to a BOPU news release.

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The release says all water and sewer customers will see a 3% increase in water and sewer service fees.

So How Much Will Rates Go Up? That Varies

But there are additional increases as well. Residential water rates will go up by 5% per 1,000 gallons for Tier 1 and Tier 2 water users. Tiers 3 and Tier 4 water users will see a 9% increase per 1,000 gallons used.

The release says the average residential user can expect to pay about $2.55 per month more than they are now based on a water and sewer discharge of 3,000 gallons.

The increase for industrial and commercial water users will depend on water consumption and sanitary sewer discharge.

The release says system development fees, septic disposal fees and commercial dumping fees will go up by 5%.

What is driving the higher rates? According to the release "These rate adjustments are necessary to support the continued delivery of reliable water and sewer services, including the operation, maintenance, and improvement of critical utility infrastructure. The BOPU is responsible for operating and maintaining an extensive system that includes approximately 730 miles of collection, transmission, and distribution water mains, 14 miles of recycled water lines, 327 miles of sanitary sewer lines, one water treatment plant, two water reclamation facilities, and 40 groundwater wells. Rates and fees collected ensure long-term reliability, safety, and sustainability of Cheyenne's water and sewer systems."

The release quotes BOPU Administration and and Public Affairs Coordinator Erin Lamb as saying

“The BOPU understands that rate increases impact our customers,” said Erin Lamb, Administration and Public Affairs Coordinator. “We remain committed to keeping rate adjustments as manageable as possible by continuously evaluating our operations and implementing efficiencies where feasible. These efforts help ensure we can continue providing the reliable water and sewer services our customers expect while maintaining the long-term sustainability of our entire system.”

In 2025, the BOPU raised water service fees $ 3.00  per month in water service fees and with $2.00 per month increase in sewer service fees. But the utility did not increase rated per 1000 gallons of water and sewer usage.

Traditionally BOPU rate increases were not implemented until Jan 1. of the following year. But last year they went to an Oct. 1 date for increases, following that practice again this year.