Orlando FY2027 Commercial Sewer Rates: Capacity Formula and October 1 Bill Check

October 1 separates the current and adopted rate schedules

Source-reported facts: Orlando City Council approved sewer-rate schedules for fiscal years 2027 through 2030. FY2027 begins October 1, 2026. Until September 30, the FY2026 commercial schedule remains current: $25.60 per capacity unit and $6.18 per 1,000 gallons inside the city, or $32.00 and $7.73 outside the city.

Beginning October 1, the adopted FY2027 values are $28.03 per capacity unit and $6.77 per 1,000 gallons inside the city, or $35.04 and $8.46 outside the city. Use the rate vintage that matches the service period; do not apply the October schedule to a September bill.

The commercial capacity line is usage-derived and rounded

For commercial accounts, Orlando divides current OUC water usage by 7,000 gallons, rounds the result to the nearest 0.10, and multiplies that unit count by the applicable capacity rate. It then adds the applicable commodity charge for each 1,000 gallons.

Calling the capacity line a conventional fixed base charge can produce a bad estimate: it changes when the rounded usage-derived unit count changes. Rounding also means a small volume change may not move that line until it crosses the next tenth-unit threshold.

Commercial, industrial, and master-metered multifamily accounts use this method

Orlando identifies commercial, industrial, and master-metered multifamily living units under the commercial calculation. Restaurants, hotels, offices, healthcare sites, laundries, car washes, industrial users, and multifamily operators should confirm that classification instead of borrowing a residential flat-fee table.

Territory matters too. The inside- and outside-city schedules use different capacity and commodity rates. Confirm service territory from the account or utility record rather than inferring it from a postal address.

A declared FY2027 inside-city example reproduces both moving lines

Smart Valve analysis, not a City bill quote: assume an inside-city commercial account uses 70,000 gallons in one FY2027 billing period. The calculation is 70,000 ÷ 7,000 = 10.0 capacity units: 10.0 × $28.03 = $280.30, plus 70 × $6.77 = $473.90. The included sewer total is $754.20.

At a declared 56,000 gallons, the calculation is 8.0 × $28.03 = $224.24, plus 56 × $6.77 = $379.12. The included total is $603.36, a $150.84 exposure difference. For compact context, the same declared volumes under the current FY2026 inside schedule model to $688.60 and $550.88, a $137.72 difference. These are formula examples, not averages, forecasts, or guaranteed savings.

Minimums, rounding, OUC water, and leak adjustments stay separate

The City’s formula includes rounding and a minimum capacity-charge rule. Low-use accounts should follow the current official bill page rather than extrapolating below that floor. OUC water service is a separate charge and remains outside both examples, as do taxes, adjustments, other services, and account-specific treatment.

Orlando also provides a sewer-charge adjustment path for verified leaks for residential and commercial customers. Repair evidence and utility review control that process. A leak adjustment is not automatic, and it should not be counted as ongoing operating savings.

Check the rate vintage, formula inputs, and exclusions first

Collect the bill’s service dates, OUC water gallons, City sewer classification, inside- or outside-city status, rounded capacity units, commodity volume, minimum treatment, and any adjustment before recreating the charge. Starting with the service date prevents the adopted October rates from being mixed with the current FY2026 schedule.

Then separate the two usage-derived sewer lines from OUC water and every other account line. That creates an auditable basis for assessing controllable exposure without treating the complete utility bill as one variable charge.

Where Smart Valve fits

Smart Valve may be relevant when an Orlando commercial property has controllable water volume that drives both sewer capacity units and the commodity line. It does not set rates, change territory or classification, waive minimums, replace leak documentation, or guarantee an adjustment.

A qualification review should pair at least 12 months of OUC usage with Orlando sewer records and operating conditions. The site calculator is directional and does not reproduce Orlando’s rounded capacity formula or the October rate transition.

FAQ

Sources

• City of Orlando — council-approved FY2027–FY2030 sewer schedule and commercial formula, FY2027 effective October 1, 2026 (retrieved July 14, 2026)