Burlington, VT FY2027 Commercial Water, Wastewater, and Stormwater Rates
Burlington’s adopted FY2027 schedule separates commercial water, wastewater, meter, fire, and stormwater charges. See bill checks and a bounded model.
Direct answer
Effective July 1, 2026, Burlington’s adopted FY2027 schedule lists standard commercial water at $5.67 per CCF and wastewater at $10.02 per CCF, plus separate meter-size fixed charges. For one declared two-inch commercial account, 100 to 80 CCF changes the included water-and-wastewater total from $1,666.97 to $1,353.17—a $313.80 modeled difference—while $97.97 in fixed charges stays unchanged. Stormwater, private fire, strength surcharges, taxes, and other account lines are excluded.
$5.67
Commercial water
Per 100 cubic feet for FY2027
$10.02
Wastewater
Per 100 cubic feet for FY2027
$97.97
Two-inch fixed
Combined monthly water and wastewater
$313.80
Modeled difference
Included lines at 100 → 80 CCF
Account and bill-line map
Classify each Burlington line before modeling volume
The adopted FY2027 schedules separate standard commercial service from water-only classes, private fire protection, meter-size charges, and parcel-based stormwater. The declared model uses only the standard commercial water and wastewater path.
| Account or bill fact | FY2027 treatment |
|---|---|
| Commercial, mixed-use, or multifamily volume | Water is $5.67/CCF and wastewater is $10.02/CCF. Confirm the account class and billed volumes before applying both rates. |
| Two-inch standard meter | Monthly fixed charges are $35.43 for water and $62.54 for wastewater, or $97.97 combined. Lower volume does not change them. |
| Irrigation meter | Water is $9.91/CCF and the adopted schedule shows no wastewater rate for this class. Do not substitute the standard commercial model. |
| Process water for heating or cooling | Water is $6.41/CCF and the adopted schedule shows no wastewater rate for this class. Verify the meter purpose. |
| Private fire protection | The schedule lists a separate monthly fire-service charge by service size; a two-inch service is $46.97. It is outside the usage model. |
| Stormwater | The monthly fee is $4.13 per ISU, and one ISU equals 1,000 square feet of impervious surface. Metered water use does not set this line. |
| Strength and other account lines | The City’s convenience page says wastewater above its stated BOD threshold may face a surcharge. Verify current treatment, taxes, franchise charges, and adjustments directly. |
Official adoption record
The adopted resolution—not the lagging convenience page—controls the FY2027 values
Burlington’s City Council approved the FY2027 budget 10-1 on June 15, according to the City’s June 16 release. The adopted budget resolution says the attached water, wastewater, private-fire, and stormwater schedules take effect July 1, 2026.
When checked July 22, the City’s general Rates & Fees page still displayed FY2026 values effective July 1, 2025. This article therefore takes every FY2027 numeric rate from the adopted resolution. The convenience page is used only for general account context and its lag is part of the source record.
Customer classification
Standard commercial is only one path through the schedule
The adopted table assigns the same $5.67/CCF water and $10.02/CCF wastewater rates to commercial, mixed residential-and-commercial, multifamily residential, and City accounts. Irrigation and process water for heating or cooling have separate water-only rates.
A mixed-use building, campus, industrial plant, irrigated site, or property with several meters should classify each account independently. The physical use of the property does not by itself prove which utility class appears on the bill.
Fixed and variable charges
A two-inch account starts with $97.97 before billed volume
The FY2027 meter schedule lists monthly two-inch fixed charges of $35.43 for water and $62.54 for wastewater. Those charges total $97.97 and stay unchanged in the declared 100-to-80 CCF comparison.
The separate volume rates total $15.69 per CCF for a standard commercial account when the same billed volume is assigned to water and wastewater. An irrigation meter, process-water meter, wastewater adjustment, or other account arrangement can break that simple relationship.
Non-volume lines
Stormwater, private fire, and wastewater strength need separate ledgers
Burlington’s stormwater fee is $4.13 per ISU per month, with one ISU defined as 1,000 square feet of impervious surface. Roofs, parking, pavement, and the City’s parcel treatment—not monthly metered volume—drive that line, so it is excluded from the usage-reduction model.
Private fire protection also has its own fixed schedule. The City’s general rate page says wastewater with biochemical oxygen demand above its stated threshold may be subject to a surcharge, but that page had not yet rolled to FY2027 at retrieval. High-strength users should confirm the current rule and actual account rather than infer a surcharge amount here.
Commercial implication
The useful first step is a bill-line inventory, not a blended rate
Hotels, restaurants, multifamily properties, offices, laundries, healthcare facilities, campuses, and industrial sites should record every meter, class, fixed charge, billed water CCF, billed wastewater CCF, private-fire line, stormwater ISU, and surcharge or adjustment before forecasting.
The calculation below is Smart Valve analysis for one standard two-inch account. It assumes wastewater volume moves with water volume and demonstrates only the included lines; it is not a City bill quote, a citywide average, or a guaranteed operational result.
Smart Valve analysis — declared standard account
One two-inch commercial account at 100 versus 80 CCF
Assume one monthly two-inch account is billed at the standard commercial water and wastewater rates, and billed wastewater volume equals billed water volume. Include only the two meter-size fixed charges and the two volume lines.
Scroll the table horizontally to compare all columns.
| Included line | 100 CCF | 80 CCF | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water: $35.43 fixed + $5.67/CCF | $602.43 | $489.03 | $113.40 |
| Wastewater: $62.54 fixed + $10.02/CCF | $1,064.54 | $864.14 | $200.40 |
| Included water + wastewater total | $1,666.97 | $1,353.17 | $313.80 |
The $313.80 modeled difference comes from 20 fewer CCF on the two included volume lines. The combined $97.97 fixed charge stays unchanged. Stormwater, private fire, strength surcharges, irrigation or process classes, taxes, franchise charges, adjustments, and other fees remain outside the calculation.
20% usage check
$313.80
Modeled monthly difference at 20% lower included volume
The declared change is 20 CCF multiplied by the combined $15.69/CCF standard water-and-wastewater rate. The included total moves from $1,666.97 to $1,353.17 while both meter-size fixed charges remain.
Boundary: This assumes billed wastewater volume follows billed water volume. It excludes every parcel-based, fixed-fire, strength, tax, adjustment, and account-specific line and does not promise that a property can achieve the modeled reduction.
Decision checklist
What to check first on the bill
- 1Confirm the service period is under the adopted FY2027 schedule effective July 1, 2026.
- 2Match each meter to its City class, size, and separate water and wastewater fixed charges.
- 3Record billed water CCF and wastewater CCF independently; verify any deduct-meter or adjustment treatment.
- 4Find the stormwater ISU count and keep the impervious-area fee outside the usage-reduction base.
- 5Identify private-fire, irrigation, and process-water accounts instead of applying the standard commercial model to them.
- 6Verify any BOD or other strength surcharge, tax, franchise charge, credit, penalty, and account adjustment on the actual bill.
Scope boundary
Where Smart Valve realistically fits
Smart Valve may help a Burlington property team evaluate controllable metered volume after the account class, meter inventory, pressure conditions, operating uses, billed wastewater treatment, and current schedule are confirmed.
Smart Valve does not change Burlington’s rate class, meter-size charge, stormwater ISU, private-fire charge, wastewater-strength rule, tax, penalty, or other fixed and property-specific line. The model is a transparent scenario, not a savings guarantee.
Related commercial water decisions
Track New England commercial utility decisions
Follow adopted rate, sewer, drought, PFAS, and billing changes across the region.
Compare Salem’s commercial water and sewer path
See why a nearby market’s rate boundaries and operating restrictions require a separate model.
Review the multifamily water-cost decision path
Connect master-metered use, common areas, pressure, and actual bill lines before estimating exposure.
Separate every Burlington bill line
Distinguish meter, volume, wastewater, stormwater, fire, tax, and adjustment charges.
Use the calculator as a general screening tool
It does not reproduce Burlington’s FY2027 tariff, classes, meter charges, or stormwater ISUs.
Review source and estimate boundaries
See how official facts, calculations, assumptions, and exclusions are separated.
Frequently asked questions
What are Burlington’s FY2027 commercial water and wastewater rates?
The adopted schedule lists standard commercial water at $5.67 per CCF and wastewater at $10.02 per CCF, effective July 1, 2026. Mixed-use and multifamily accounts share those listed volume rates, while irrigation and process-water classes differ.
How much are Burlington’s two-inch fixed water and wastewater charges?
The FY2027 schedule lists $35.43 per month for water and $62.54 for wastewater on a two-inch meter, or $97.97 combined. Those fixed amounts stay unchanged in the declared model.
Does lower water use reduce Burlington’s stormwater fee?
Not under the reviewed FY2027 schedule. Burlington sets the monthly stormwater fee at $4.13 per ISU, and one ISU equals 1,000 square feet of impervious surface rather than a quantity of metered water.
Why does Burlington’s general rate page show different values?
When checked July 22, the convenience page still showed FY2026 rates effective July 1, 2025. This article uses the adopted FY2027 budget resolution for every new value and links the City’s June 16 adoption record.
Primary source trail
Sources and retrieval details
Published: Adopted June 15, 2026Effective: July 1, 2026Retrieved: July 22, 2026
Controlling primary source for the adopted FY2027 water and wastewater fixed charges, volume rates, private-fire schedule, stormwater rate, units, and effective date.
Published: June 16, 2026Retrieved: July 22, 2026
Primary official adoption record stating that the City Council approved the FY2027 budget 10-1 on June 15, 2026.
Source URL: https://www.burlingtonvt.gov/m/newsflash/Home/Detail/3843
Status checked: July 22, 2026Retrieved: July 22, 2026
Primary convenience page for general bill and wastewater-strength context. It still displayed FY2026 rates effective July 1, 2025 at retrieval, so no FY2027 numeric value in this article is attributed to it.
Source URL: https://www.burlingtonvt.gov/363/Rates-Fees
Map the Burlington account before modeling a reduction
Start with every class, meter size, water and wastewater volume, stormwater ISU, private-fire line, and surcharge or adjustment. Keep the $313.80 example bounded to the declared standard account.