Public invited to comment on Washington Water Service limited rate increase proposal

Media contact: [email protected] or 360-664-1116
Docket number: UW-250739

LACEY, Wash. - The Utilities and Transportation Commission (UTC) is holding a virtual public comment hearing on June 30 to gather customer input on the proposed Washington Water Service (Washington Water) rate increase for East Pierce and Legacy service customers.

WHO

Washington Utilities and Transportation Commission

WHAT

Virtual public comment hearing

This gives customers a chance to share how the proposed change impacts them and their communities before the commission makes a final decision.

WHEN and WHERE

6:30 p.m. on Tuesday, June 30, 2026

Join by Zoom (recommended) or by phone 253-215-8782 and use Meeting ID: 814 3640 6490# and Passcode: 718078#.

Any time while the case is open, you can also submit written comments:

• online, 

• by phone at 888-333-9882, 

• by email at [email protected], and

• by mail to P.O Box 47250, Olympia, WA 98504-7250

If you have trouble understanding English, you can request free language assistance services at least a week before the meeting. Contact us at 360-664-1193 or [email protected].

To get hearing notices and updates about a company or case, ask to be added to the "interested persons" email list by emailing [email protected]. Include the docket number, if possible.

BACKGROUND

On Sept. 25, 2025, Washington Water filed tariff revisions related to its East Pierce (about 19,600 customers) and Legacy (about 18,000 customers) service areas. The reasons for Washington Water's request are to pay for:

• Higher operating costs.

• Equipment and facility upgrades.

• Cleaning forever chemicals (PFAS) from the water supply to ensure the drinking water is safe and meets health rules.

• Moving rates in the service areas closer to "parity," or having customers in all areas eventually pay the same amount for the water service.

If approved, the new rates would not apply to the Stroh water system customers who recently had a rate increase.

Proposed Rate Adjustments and Residential Bill Impacts:

Note: Estimates for metered customers are based on households using 5/8" and 3/4" meters. East Pierce estimates are based on high population areas that average 761 cubic feet (cf) of usage. Legacy customers most commonly use 633 cf.

About Washington Water

Washington Water Service is the largest investor-owned water utility in Washington, serving about 38,000 customers across 425 neighborhoods in Clallam, Jefferson, King, Kitsap, Mason, Pierce, San Juan, and Thurston counties.

About the UTC

The UTC regulates the rates and services of investor-owned electric utilities, telecommunications companies, natural gas and water companies, solid waste collection companies, household-goods movers and passenger transportation companies, commercial ferries, pipeline companies, marine pilotage, and a low-level radioactive waste repository. The commission does not regulate the rates of broadband services, cellular, cable, or Internet service.

###