Somerville FY2027 Commercial Water and Sewer Rates: Quarterly Bands and Base Charges
Somerville’s FY2027 commercial schedule posts combined water and sewer rates from $24.49 to $35.45 per CCF while meter-size base charges stay unchanged.
Direct answer
Somerville approved FY2027 rates June 11, 2026. In the official commercial quarterly column, water is $8.37–$13.12 per CCF and sewer is $16.12–$22.33, or $24.49–$35.45 combined. The City also prints bi-monthly ranges; confirm the bill’s cadence and range method. Water and sewer volumetric revenue each rise 15%, while base charges do not change.
15%
Water-volume revenue
Approved FY2027 increase; not a universal bill percentage
15%
Sewer-volume revenue
Approved FY2027 increase; fixed charges are separate
$35.45
Highest posted combined rate
Per CCF above 200 CCF in a commercial quarter
No change
Base charges
Quarterly combined floor still depends on meter size
Official FY2027 commercial schedule
Match quarterly CCF to the posted water and sewer bands
One CCF is 100 cubic feet, or 748 gallons. This guide reproduces the City’s commercial quarterly column; the source also prints bi-monthly ranges. Confirm the bill cadence and range treatment before a full calculation.
- Quarterly commercial use
- 0–19 CCF
- Water per CCF
- $8.37
- Sewer per CCF
- $16.12
- Combined per CCF
- $24.49
- Quarterly commercial use
- 20–100 CCF
- Water per CCF
- $12.05
- Sewer per CCF
- $20.57
- Combined per CCF
- $32.62
- Quarterly commercial use
- 101–200 CCF
- Water per CCF
- $12.62
- Sewer per CCF
- $21.57
- Combined per CCF
- $34.19
- Quarterly commercial use
- More than 200 CCF
- Water per CCF
- $13.12
- Sewer per CCF
- $22.33
- Combined per CCF
- $35.45
Source-reported approval
The City approved equal volumetric-revenue increases for water and sewer
Source fact: Somerville says the FY2027 water and sewer rates were approved June 11, 2026 after a May 28 public hearing. The approved plan increases revenue from water volumetric charges by 15% and revenue from sewer volumetric charges by 15%.
Those are revenue-plan percentages, not a promise that every commercial account’s complete bill rises by the same percentage. Usage range, meter-size base charge, service period, adjustments, and other account facts control the actual result.
Commercial account path
Use the quarterly column only after confirming the bill cadence
The official table prints separate bi-monthly and quarterly commercial columns. This guide uses the quarterly column. Confirm both the commercial class and billing cadence printed on the bill or with the City rather than inferring either from property type.
Normalize CCF to the actual service period before comparing two bills. A different cadence, longer or shorter period, adjustment, estimated reading, or account change can look like a rate effect when it is not.
Claim boundary
The page does not state how the four ranges are applied to a complete bill
The City posts usage ranges and unit rates, but the reviewed page does not explicitly say whether the ranges are progressive blocks or whether one attained rate applies more broadly. This guide therefore does not construct a full 250-CCF bill or claim a tier-drop result.
Use a current FY2027 bill or written City explanation to reproduce the method. The limited 50-CCF callout below values only a slice at the posted above-200 unit rates; it is not a substitute for that confirmation.
Fixed-charge boundary
Meter size sets an unchanged quarterly base floor
The City says there is no increase in base charges for FY2027. The combined quarterly water-and-sewer base ranges from $45 for a 5/8-inch meter to $6,300 for an 8-inch meter, with seven other posted sizes between them.
Lower metered volume does not establish a lower meter-size base charge. Any service resizing decision belongs with the City and the property’s fire-flow, capacity, code, and operating requirements—not a savings estimate.
Commercial bill implication
Sewer is the larger posted usage-linked line in every commercial band
Sewer runs from $16.12 to $22.33 per CCF while water runs from $8.37 to $13.12. That makes sewer the larger component of each posted combined unit rate and a required line in any qualified variable-exposure review.
The useful decision is not “15% rate increase equals 15% savings.” It is to separate confirmed usage-linked water and sewer volume from the unchanged base floor, then reproduce the City’s range method before evaluating controllable use.
Official fixed-charge schedule
Combined quarterly base charges by meter size
These City-posted water-plus-sewer base charges stay unchanged for FY2027. Match the actual meter; do not transfer a smaller size into a property model.
| Meter size | Combined quarterly base |
|---|---|
| 5/8 inch | $45 |
| 3/4 inch | $68 |
| 1 inch | $113 |
| 1.5 inch | $225 |
| 2 inch | $360 |
| 3 inch | $979 |
| 4 inch | $1,688 |
| 6 inch | $3,600 |
| 8 inch | $6,300 |
The table is a fixed quarterly floor, not a usage model. It excludes volumetric charges, adjustments, penalties, prior balances, taxes, and any account-specific service line not established by the reviewed page.
Declared 50-CCF unit-rate check
$1,772.50for 50 CCF at the posted above-200 quarterly rates
Fifty CCF at the posted above-200 combined rate
Smart Valve arithmetic: 50 CCF × $13.12 water equals $656.00, and 50 CCF × $22.33 sewer equals $1,116.50. Together, that 50-CCF slice represents $1,772.50 at the posted above-200 rates.
Boundary: This is not a full 250-CCF bill, a City quote, a forecast, or guaranteed savings. It does not assume progressive or attained-tier mechanics, value the first 200 CCF, change the base charge, or establish that a property can reduce 50 CCF. Confirm the bill method and site feasibility.
Decision checklist
What to check first on the bill
- 1Confirm the account is commercial, then select the City column that matches its billing cadence.
- 2Copy the service dates, billed CCF, reading status, and any adjustment from the current bill.
- 3Ask whether the posted ranges are progressive blocks or an attained-rate method; retain written support.
- 4Separate water volume, sewer volume, and the combined meter-size base charge.
- 5Match the printed meter size to the official base schedule instead of assuming a size.
- 6List penalties, prior balances, taxes, credits, and unverified account lines outside the rate model.
- 7Compare at least four aligned quarters before treating one change as an operating trend.
Scope boundary
Where Smart Valve realistically fits
After commercial class, service period, CCF, tier method, meter size, and sewer treatment are confirmed, a property team can review leaks, pressure conditions, and operating loads that may affect technically addressable metered use.
Smart Valve does not change Somerville’s meter-size base charge, rate schedule, account class, tier method, adjustments, penalties, taxes, or other fixed and policy lines. The declared 50-CCF slice is not a savings guarantee.
Related commercial water decisions
Track New England commercial utility decisions
Follow official water, sewer, drought, meter, and billing signals without transferring Somerville’s schedule to another city.
Separate fixed and usage-linked bill lines
Use the bill guide to isolate volume, base, sewer, adjustments, and other account charges before modeling.
Review source and estimate boundaries
See how official facts, Smart Valve arithmetic, assumptions, and exclusions are separated.
Frequently asked questions
What are Somerville’s FY2027 commercial water and sewer rates?
The quarterly commercial table lists water from $8.37 to $13.12 per CCF and sewer from $16.12 to $22.33 per CCF. The combined posted rates run from $24.49 for 0–19 CCF to $35.45 above 200 CCF.
Did Somerville increase every commercial bill by 15% for FY2027?
No. The City describes 15% increases in revenue from water volumetric charges and sewer volumetric charges. An account result also depends on usage range, base charge, service period, adjustments, and the City’s billing method.
Did Somerville raise commercial base charges for FY2027?
The official page says there is no increase in base charges. The combined quarterly base still varies by meter size, from $45 for 5/8 inch to $6,300 for 8 inches.
Is the $1,772.50 Somerville figure a bill or savings quote?
No. It is Smart Valve arithmetic for only 50 CCF at the posted above-200 water and sewer unit rates. It excludes the first 200 CCF, base charges, other bill lines, tier-method effects, and feasibility.
Primary source trail
Sources and retrieval details
Published: FY2027 rates approved June 11, 2026 after a May 28 public hearing; Effective: FY2027; the reviewed page does not print an exact calendar effective date; Status checked: August 9, 2026; Retrieved: August 9, 2026
Controlling Tier 1 source for the commercial bi-monthly and quarterly water, sewer, and combined unit-rate columns; CCF conversion; approved volumetric-revenue changes; and unchanged base-charge schedule.
Source URL: https://www.somervillema.gov/departments/water-and-sewer/water-and-sewer-rates (opens in a new tab)
Editorial contact
Media & product inquiries
Send relevant corrections, launch information, approved assets, or testing opportunities to thesmartwatervalve@gmail.com. Contact does not guarantee coverage, favorable treatment, commercial placement, or a review.
Confirm the Somerville range method before forecasting
Bring the current bill, service dates, commercial class, meter size, CCF, water and sewer lines, and written range treatment into one source-backed review.