Fairfax County FY2027 Commercial Sewer Rates: Fixed Base, $9.88/kgal, and October Billing
Fairfax County adopted a $9.88/kgal commercial sewer service charge for FY2027. Check meter-size base charges, October billing timing, and a qualified model.
Direct answer
Fairfax County adopted a $9.88 per 1,000 gallons sewer service charge for residential and commercial customers in FY2027. Commercial volume is based on actual water consumption, while a separate quarterly base charge depends on meter size and does not fall with usage. Service-period pricing begins July 1; metered bills transition with readings on or after October 1, 2026.
$9.88
Commercial sewer
Per kgal of actual water consumption
$446.24
2-inch base
Quarterly fixed charge
Oct. 1
Metered bills
Readings on or after this date
$1B+
10-year needs
Wastewater capital program
Commercial bill-line map
Which Fairfax sewer lines can change with use—and which stay fixed
The county’s sewer charge has two different drivers. Keep the quarterly meter-size base separate from the service charge tied to actual commercial water consumption.
| Bill line or timing | Commercial decision |
|---|---|
| Quarterly base charge | Fixed by meter size for the period. A 2-inch meter is $446.24; lower usage does not change this stated base. |
| $9.88/kgal service charge | Usage linked for commercial accounts because Fairfax bases sewer volume on actual water consumption. |
| July 1 service period | FY2027 charges apply to service beginning July 1, 2026; do not assume every metered bill displays them immediately. |
| October 1 metered transition | Metered bills use the new charges for readings on or after October 1. Unmetered billing also changes October 1. |
Official source facts
Fairfax adopted the FY2027 sewer charge for commercial customers
Fairfax County’s sewer-charge FAQ says the Board of Supervisors approved a $9.88 per 1,000 gallons service charge for FY2027, up from $9.33. The county states that the charge applies to residential and commercial customers.
The commercial calculation differs from the county’s residential winter-use approach. Fairfax says commercial sewer use is based on actual water consumption, so the billed commercial volume should be checked directly against the account’s meter and statement.
Fixed charge
The quarterly base depends on meter size, not gallons used
The county publishes a commercial base-charge table by meter size. Quarterly charges range from $55.78 for a meter up to 3/4 inch to $6,414.70 for a 10-inch meter. The declared model below uses the official 2-inch amount of $446.24.
That base is included at both modeled usage levels. A facility should not apply a 20% usage assumption to the base, and it should verify the meter size shown on its account before using any value from the county table.
Billing timing
July service pricing and October meter readings are different dates
Fairfax says the new charges apply to service beginning July 1, 2026. For metered customers, the new charges begin with meter readings on or after October 1. The county also says unmetered sewer billing changes October 1.
A commercial operator should preserve the service dates, read date, bill date, and billed gallons when comparing the first changed statement with an earlier period. Fairfax Water or the Town of Vienna may act as the billing agent, but the county sewer schedule remains the source for these charges.
Water, sewer, and stormwater
Only the Fairfax sewer lines are modeled here
A property may see water, county sewer, stormwater, or other municipal lines across related statements. This article models only the Fairfax County sewer base and sewer service charge. It does not assign a water rate or treat stormwater as usage reducible.
Teams should reconcile the utility name and billing authority for each line before combining them. A change in the sewer schedule is not evidence that the water or stormwater charge changed on the same terms.
Budget and infrastructure context
The county links the rate to a system with substantial fixed costs and capital needs
Fairfax identifies inflation, declining billed flow, aging infrastructure, environmental requirements, and more than $1 billion in ten-year wastewater capital needs as rate drivers. It also says approximately 70% of wastewater-system costs are fixed.
That 70% figure describes the system’s cost structure; it is not a claim that 70% of every commercial account’s bill is fixed. The account-level fixed amount is the applicable meter-size base, while the service charge changes with the commercial volume the county bills.
Smart Valve analysis
The example changes billed sewer volume while holding the fixed base constant
The model declares one quarterly commercial sewer account with a 2-inch meter and changes billed volume from 100 kgal to 80 kgal. It multiplies the two declared volumes by the official $9.88/kgal service charge and includes the same $446.24 base in both totals.
This is reproducible arithmetic, not a Fairfax County quote, average bill, forecast, or savings guarantee. Water, stormwater, taxes, penalties, special wastewater, and every account-specific line are excluded.
Smart Valve analysis — not a Fairfax County bill quote
One declared quarterly 2-inch commercial sewer account
The example holds the official $446.24 quarterly base constant and changes only the $9.88/kgal service line from 100 kgal to 80 kgal.
Scroll the table horizontally to compare all columns.
| Included sewer line | 100 kgal | 80 kgal | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2-inch quarterly base | $446.24 | $446.24 | $0.00 |
| $9.88/kgal service charge | $988.00 | $790.40 | $197.60 |
| Included model total | $1,434.24 | $1,236.64 | $197.60 |
The $197.60 difference comes entirely from the included sewer service charge. The fixed base remains $446.24 in both totals. Excluded lines must be evaluated from the actual account.
20% usage check
$197.60
Modeled quarterly difference at 20% lower billed sewer volume
Moving the declared volume from 100 kgal to 80 kgal removes 20 kgal from the modeled $9.88/kgal service line, producing a $197.60 difference for the quarter.
Boundary: The model does not reduce the 2-inch base and excludes water, stormwater, taxes, penalties, special wastewater, and account-specific charges. Actual volume and technical feasibility must be confirmed; Smart Valve does not guarantee this result.
Decision checklist
What to check first on the bill
- 1Confirm that Fairfax County sewer service is the line being reviewed and identify the billing agent.
- 2Record the meter size and match it to the county’s commercial quarterly base table.
- 3Capture the service period, meter-read date, bill date, and billed commercial sewer volume.
- 4Verify that the service charge is $9.88/kgal for the applicable FY2027 period.
- 5Separate water, stormwater, taxes, penalties, and special wastewater from the county sewer model.
- 6Compare actual gallons before applying any usage-reduction assumption.
Scope boundary
Where Smart Valve realistically fits
Smart Valve can help a commercial team evaluate controllable metered volume when the Fairfax sewer service charge follows actual water consumption. The qualified example isolates that usage-linked sewer line so the fixed base is not mistaken for reducible cost.
Smart Valve does not change the meter-size base, county rate, billing dates, stormwater, penalties, or special wastewater treatment. A property assessment should begin with actual bills, operating conditions, and confirmation that the modeled volume is technically addressable.
Related commercial water decisions
Track Mid-Atlantic commercial utility changes
Follow adopted sewer, water, stormwater, and proposal decisions across nearby markets.
Compare Arlington’s FY2027 water and sewer lines
See a nearby Virginia market where monthly water and sewer volume are modeled together.
Compare WSSC’s progressive commercial bill method
Review another regional sewer model with billed days, customer units, tiers, and fixed fees.
Separate fixed and usage-linked charges
Read the bill line by line before applying a reduction assumption.
Review the office-building water decision path
Map controllable building uses without treating fixed fees as savings.
Prepare a Fairfax sewer-bill audit
Collect the meter, bill dates, volume, and charge details before modeling.
Review source and estimate boundaries
See how official facts, calculations, assumptions, and exclusions are separated.
Frequently asked questions
What is Fairfax County’s FY2027 commercial sewer service charge?
Fairfax County lists a $9.88 per 1,000 gallons sewer service charge for residential and commercial customers. Commercial volume is based on actual water consumption.
When do the Fairfax County FY2027 sewer charges appear on metered bills?
The county says the new charges apply to service beginning July 1, 2026, while metered bills transition with readings on or after October 1. Preserve both dates when reviewing the first changed bill.
Does lower commercial usage reduce the Fairfax quarterly sewer base?
No. The published commercial base depends on meter size. The qualified model holds the 2-inch quarterly base of $446.24 constant and changes only the usage-linked service charge.
Does this Fairfax model include water or stormwater?
No. It includes only the county sewer base and sewer service charge. Water, stormwater, taxes, penalties, special wastewater, and account-specific lines are excluded.
Primary source trail
Sources and retrieval details
Published: FY2027 public rate guidanceEffective: July 1, 2026 service period; October 1, 2026 metered-billing transitionRetrieved: July 16, 2026
Primary official source for adoption, customer coverage, $9.88/kgal service charge, commercial actual-consumption treatment, meter-size base table, billing transition, cost structure, and wastewater capital context.
Source URL: https://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/publicworks/wastewater/sewer-charges-faqs
Published: FY2027 adopted budgetEffective: Fiscal year beginning July 1, 2026Retrieved: July 16, 2026
Official adopted-budget entry point confirming that the FY2027 plan is adopted. Account calculations in this article use the county sewer FAQ rather than a residential example.
Source URL: https://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/budget/current-year-adopted-budget-plan
Audit the Fairfax sewer line before modeling a reduction
Start with the actual meter size, bill period, billed commercial volume, and county sewer lines. Keep the quarterly base and all excluded charges outside a usage-reduction claim.