🧃 The Main Squeeze: Your Utility Bill Is Probably Going Up

💧 Starting next month, water, sewer, and connection fees in St. Lucie County are increasing. This past week, the county approved two resolutions that will likely affect you if you own a home, a business, or both.

TL;DR: The county just passed two resolutions that’ll likely affect your pocket. One raises your water bill. The other increases what new developments pay to hook in. Most households will see a bump of about $4.89 per month starting in August.

💬 Why It Matters: Many may not notice the five dollar bump at first, but this is just the first of two expected rate hikes. The real increase is in the connection fees, which are going way, way up. That could slow down development. Some people may be happy about that. Others? Not so much.

📈 The Numbers:

• Water and reuse rates are going up 5.5%
• Sewer rates will rise 2.4%
• For the average home (5,000 gallons/month), that’s about $4.89/month
• New hookup fees (starting August 1): $5,273 for water and $4,529 for wastewater

These changes help cover the cost of two new treatment plants (Tropicana and Holiday) and expand the system to support new construction.

🧠 A Little Context: The rate increases are based on a March 5 study the county also used to back a recent bond. The board approved both resolutions, one for billing and one for connection fees, with no pushback. Everybody was on board. And while the 2025 numbers are now locked in, a second round of increases is already on the table for 2026.

👀 Watch It Yourself: Want to see the full presentation and vote? Here’s the July 1 meeting recording (Item 12A).

🗣 What Do You Think? Do we pay too much or too little for water in St. Lucie County?Leave your thoughts here.