Mountain West Rate Watch6 min read2026-06-03

Billings Commercial Water and Wastewater Rates: 2026 Sewer Exposure to Check

Billings Public Works lists 2026 non-residential water and commercial domestic-strength wastewater rates. Commercial properties should model kGal water and wastewater together.

Quick Answer

Billings lists FY2026 non-residential water at $4.07 per kGal inside city limits and commercial domestic-strength wastewater at $5.95 per kGal. The water line may look flat for non-residential accounts, but wastewater still changes the combined variable exposure commercial properties should model.

$4.07

Water Inside City

Non-residential per kGal

$5.95

Wastewater

Commercial domestic strength per kGal

$10.02

Combined Variable

Water + wastewater per kGal

kGal

Unit

1,000 gallons

What changed in Billings

Source-reported facts: Billings Public Works lists water and wastewater service rates with 2025 and 2026 effective columns. The city describes water rates as having a fixed monthly charge by meter size plus volumetric rates measured in kGal.

For non-residential accounts inside city limits, the listed water volume rate is $4.07 per kGal for both July 1, 2025 and July 1, 2026. Wastewater commercial domestic-strength volume moves from $5.75 to $5.95 per kGal.

Who may be affected

The most relevant readers are Billings hotels, restaurants, multifamily operators, healthcare facilities, laundries, car washes, campuses, warehouses, and industrial users with meaningful monthly water and wastewater volume.

Outside-city and resale categories differ from inside-city non-residential service, so property teams should not apply the inside-city rate until the service location and customer class are confirmed.

Why this matters for commercial water bills

A flat water volume rate can hide a wastewater increase. For an inside-city commercial domestic-strength account, the combined variable water plus wastewater exposure shown by the 2026 schedule is $10.02 per kGal before fixed monthly charges and other fees.

Billings says wastewater charges include a monthly service charge based on meter size and a volume charge based on the amount of wastewater created. That means the property should look at both fixed and variable lines before deciding whether a bill increase is rate-driven or usage-driven.

What a 20 percent usage reduction could mean

Directional estimate: assume an inside-city non-residential Billings account uses 300 kGal per month and wastewater volume tracks water use. At the 2026 combined variable rate of $10.02 per kGal, 300 kGal represents about $3,006 per month in variable water and wastewater exposure.

A 20 percent reduction equals 60 kGal. At $10.02 per kGal, that is about $601.20 per month in variable exposure before fixed charges, account-specific wastewater assumptions, rate class, site conditions, and installation feasibility.

What to check first on your bill

Confirm inside-city or outside-city service, customer class, monthly kGal, wastewater class, meter size, fixed service charge, and whether any seasonal, resale, or private fire-protection fees apply.

Then compare the same operating month before and after the July 2026 rate line. If the bill rose more than the rate table explains, review leaks, irrigation, cooling loads, process water, laundry, kitchen use, occupancy, and estimated reads.

Where Smart Valve fits

Smart Valve may be relevant when a Billings commercial property has high controllable metered volume and the site qualifies technically. It should be modeled against water and wastewater volume only when wastewater billing actually follows water usage.

Fixed monthly service charges, private fire fees, and non-usage charges should be separated from any usage-reduction estimate.

What to Do Next

Confirm inside-city versus outside-city non-residential service.

Model water and commercial domestic-strength wastewater as separate bill lines.

Check whether wastewater volume follows water use before estimating savings.

FAQ

What is the 2026 Billings non-residential water rate inside city limits?

Billings Public Works lists non-residential inside-city water at $4.07 per kGal for the 2026 effective column.

What is the 2026 Billings commercial domestic-strength wastewater rate?

The wastewater table lists commercial domestic-strength volume at $5.95 per kGal effective July 1, 2026.

Does a lower water volume automatically reduce the whole Billings bill?

No. Variable water and wastewater lines may change with usage, but fixed meter-size service charges and other non-usage fees may not.

Sources

Related Commercial Water Resources

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