MDC Proposes Water and Sewer Rate Hikes for Greater Hartford Area in 2027

Hartford Area Residents Face Potential 2027 Utility Hikes

For hundreds of thousands of residents across Hartford County, the cost of keeping the tap running and the drains clearing could go up in the new year.

The Metropolitan District Commission, or MDC, has proposed a 2027 budget that includes significant increases for both water and sewer services, according to reporting by NBC Connecticut.

The proposal arrives as a cumulative hit for local households. For a typical residential customer in the eight member towns—Bloomfield, West Hartford, Hartford, East Hartford, Windsor, Newington, Rocky Hill, and Wethersfield—the combined water and sewer bill could rise by approximately $9.48 per month, or $113.98 annually, NBC Connecticut reported. The district board is scheduled to take a final vote on the budget on December 7.

The Drivers Behind the Proposed Increase

The MDC characterizes these increases as a necessary step to support long-term infrastructure health. In a statement provided to NBC Connecticut, the commission noted that while it maintained stable rates for much of the last decade, the new budget is required to fund critical investments.

A major component of these costs is the Clean Water Project, a multibillion-dollar effort aimed at reducing combined sewer overflows and meeting requirements set by the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection.

Greater Hartford MDC customers could pay about $114 more a year for water and sewer under a proposed 2027 budget: water rates up about 4%, sewer budget up just under 6%. Public hearing tonight, 5:30 PM, MDC boardroom in Hartford. Show up. (WFSB) https://t.co/DXrP8XW6zJ

— Post by @CharterOakNews on X

Data from the MDC’s budget book, as cited by Hoodline, reveals that the sewer budget is slated to grow by more than $6.3 million, or 5.6 percent. Nearly half of that increase is tied to the first full year of operations for the South Hartford tunnel system and its associated pump station.

While this infrastructure was initially expected to come online in 2023, it was not anticipated to be operational until the fall of 2026, according to reporting from NEPM cited by Hoodline.

Impacts on Households and Local Business

The proposed changes would push the treated-water rate from $3.91 to $4.06 per hundred cubic feet, while the sewer user charge would climb from $5.90 to $6.38 per hundred cubic feet, per Hoodline. Additionally, the monthly sewer customer service charge per connection is set to jump from $12.50 to $16.84, representing a 34.72 percent change. These shifts are felt acutely by residents who are already managing tight household budgets.

Mdc proposes rate hikes that could add a year to hartford area water bills — Photo: hoodline.com

“It was much cheaper. I would say the cost mostly was under $50. Now they are in the $80s, close to $100 — much more than what I used to pay,” said Windsor resident Peter Isaac, as reported by WFSB.

Small business owners and ratepayers have expressed concern that these adjustments contribute to a broader trend of rising operational and living costs. While the MDC argues that its water rates remain the lowest among comparable utilities in Connecticut, the financial reality for residents is shifting.

In Windsor alone, the town’s separate annual sewer assessment—a cost handled through property taxes rather than direct billing—would rise by more than $538,000 under the current proposal, according to WFSB.

The Path to a Decision

The proposed budget is not yet set in stone. A public comment hearing is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. on November 9 at the MDC’s headquarters in Hartford. This session serves as a platform for residents to voice their concerns before the district board moves toward the final vote in December.

MDC Proposes Water and Sewer Rate Hikes for Greater Hartford Area in 2027 — Photo: wfsb.com

The last time the district saw such significant movement in its billing structure was in 2020, when it adopted a budget that raised water-use charges by 13.43 percent, according to the Hartford Business Journal as cited by Hoodline. As the region waits for the December 7 decision, the debate highlights the ongoing tension between the necessity of modernizing aging environmental infrastructure and the immediate economic strain on the communities that fund it.