Key findings
- At a constant 6,000 gallons per month, selected components rise from $115.69 under FY26 to $120.90 under FY27: a $5.21 rate-only monthly change.
- The fixed water and sewer bases together rise by $2.13 per month even at zero modeled usage. This is not a statement that a closed account is billable.
- After the 10,000-gallon monthly single-family sewer cap, additional modeled usage changes only the water component. The higher water rate starts after 4,000 gallons.
- FY27 begins October 1, 2026 and is still upcoming at the September 12 source check. Certain other user fees are described as pending final Board approval and are excluded.
Compare the same monthly gallons under both schedules
For a single-family Pinellas County Utilities retail account with both water and sewer and a 3/4-inch water meter. FY27 begins October 1, 2026; it is upcoming as of this resource’s September 12 source check.
Water = base + lower-tier gallons ÷ 1,000 × lower rate + excess gallons ÷ 1,000 × upper rate. Sewer = base + capped gallons ÷ 1,000 × sewer rate. Each schedule’s water boundary and sewer cap are shown in the source-input table below. Displayed amounts are rounded to cents after calculation.
Limit: Selected rate components, not a bill or forecast. Excludes taxes, fees, deposits, balances, credits, adjustments, reclaimed water, other providers, other meters and service classes. Two-month figures assume two identical months entirely under one schedule, not a bill spanning the effective date.
Evidence table
| Input | Unit | FY26 — before October 1, 2026 | FY27 — from October 1, 2026 | Source | Retrieved | Account assumptions |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water base | USD/month | 10.55 | 11.8 | County FY26/FY27 comparison | 2026-09-12 | Pinellas County Utilities retail single-family; both water and sewer; 3/4-inch water meter |
| Water lower tier | USD/1,000 gallons | 4.05 | 4.19 | County FY26/FY27 comparison | 2026-09-12 | Pinellas County Utilities retail single-family; both water and sewer; 3/4-inch water meter |
| Water upper tier | USD/1,000 gallons | 9.21 | 9.51 | County FY26/FY27 comparison | 2026-09-12 | Pinellas County Utilities retail single-family; both water and sewer; 3/4-inch water meter |
| Water tier boundary | gallons/month | 4000 | 4000 | County FY26/FY27 comparison | 2026-09-12 | Pinellas County Utilities retail single-family; both water and sewer; 3/4-inch water meter |
| Sewer base | USD/month | 22.1 | 22.98 | County FY26/FY27 comparison | 2026-09-12 | Pinellas County Utilities retail single-family; both water and sewer; 3/4-inch water meter |
| Sewer usage | USD/1,000 gallons | 8.07 | 8.39 | County FY26/FY27 comparison | 2026-09-12 | Pinellas County Utilities retail single-family; both water and sewer; 3/4-inch water meter |
| Single-family sewer cap | gallons/month | 10000 | 10000 | County FY26/FY27 comparison | 2026-09-12 | Pinellas County Utilities retail single-family; both water and sewer; 3/4-inch water meter |
How this was assembled
Methodology
- What was measured
- The change in selected monthly retail water and sewer charges when the account assumptions and gallons remain identical under two published schedules.
- Source scope
- The County’s FY26/FY27 rate-change table, corroborating FY27 rate page and September 8, 2026 effective-date announcement. No customer sample or business-supplied prices.
- Timeframe
- Sources retrieved September 12, 2026. Baseline is the displayed FY26 schedule; comparison is FY27 from October 1, 2026. The calculator does not choose a schedule from the computer’s date.
- Calculations and normalization
- Water base plus lower-tier gallons/1,000 times the lower rate plus excess gallons/1,000 times the upper rate; sewer base plus capped gallons/1,000 times the sewer rate. Subtract the FY26 total from FY27. Two-month results double two identical independently modeled months. Full-precision arithmetic is rounded only for display.
Limitations
- Only County retail single-family accounts with both water and sewer and a 3/4-inch water meter are modeled. Municipal, wholesale, commercial, reclaimed, irrigation-only and other meter/service classes are excluded.
- Taxes, fees, deposits, balances, credits, adjustments, mixed-rate billing periods and actual meter-reading or proration practices are not calculated.
- No bill, average, affordability conclusion, quote or forecast is produced. The supported 0–30,000-gallon input range is a worksheet boundary, not a statement about normal household consumption.
- The County labels one page “Current Rates” but expressly dates those values October 1, 2026. The effective date controls this comparison; proposed additional fees are not treated as enacted.
Source notes
Access dates are part of the evidence. A link is not a claim that the source remains unchanged after that date.
- Pinellas County Utilities Rate ChangePinellas County Government · accessed 2026-09-12
Supplies both schedules, monthly thresholds and the FY27 effective date. Every input-table row links this source; the worksheet uses those same structured inputs.
- Water Rates and FeesPinellas County Government · accessed 2026-09-12
Corroborates FY27 inputs, October 1, 2026 effective date, bimonthly base billing and single-family sewer cap. Other charges on the page are not included.
- Utilities rates to increase Oct. 1Pinellas County Government · accessed 2026-09-12
September 8, 2026 announcement confirms the upcoming rate period and distinguishes certain user fees still pending final Board approval.
Update history
- — Published an AI-assisted, source-checked rate-only comparison with reusable inputs and independently reproduced arithmetic. Publication authorized by the owner’s sitewide remediation request; no customer bills were reviewed.