Brunswick County water rates change
Brunswick County Public Utilities, which provides drinking water to most City of Northwest residents, implemented a revised water rate structure on January 1, 2022. The new rates will first be reflected in February 2022 utility bills. There were no changes to sewer rates.
The estimated impact to county retail customer (4,500 gallons a month) monthly water bill (irrigation not included) is $9.85.
Changes to Brunswick County’s water rates have been anticipated since 2018. Brunswick County is currently working on a major infrastructure project at our Northwest Water Treatment Plant to expand water capacity and install a low-pressure reverse osmosis treatment system to remove PFAS substances (including GenX) from our water. This $167.3 million project is critical to ensuring we have the highest quality of drinking water while supporting our local economy. The County is absorbing some of the costs for this project—so not all of it is directly passed on through water rates. However, the County must start making debt service repayments in 2022 and it cannot be refinanced. The new rates were timed in January 2022 to avoid charging customers too soon before debt payments had begun. It is important to note that Brunswick County retail water rates have remained almost the same over the past 17 years and were already one of the lowest in the county. Additionally, Brunswick County’s water rates are in line with the average monthly retail bill for other coastal North Carolina communities and the state median.
To read the full announcement from Commissioner Randy Thompson, click here.
You can find more information about the water rates, the Northwest Water Treatment Plant
project, and answers to FAQs at brunswickcountync.gov/rates