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Rates

In Tacoma, residents pay for electricity, water, solid waste, wastewater and surface water services on a combined utility bill. If you have questions about your bill, please contact us. Your utilities are provided separately by Environmental Services  and Tacoma Public Utilities. For quicker answers, please call the telephone number listed at right or on your bill.

 

Further information regarding your utility rates are outlined in the Tacoma Municipal Code (TMC) Title 12.

  • TMC 12.06 - Tacoma Power Rates
  • TMC 12.08 - Wastewater & Surface Water Rates
  • TMC 12.09 - Solid Waste Rates
  • TMC 12.10 - Tacoma Water Rates

What Do Your Rates Pay For?

Solid Waste

  • Collection of garbage from every home and business in Tacoma
  • Collection of recyclables and yard/food waste from all homes and many businesses in Tacoma
  • Recycling of 27,900 tons of metal, plastics, paper, glass and other materials every year
  • Recycling of 40,000 tons of yard and food waste every year
  • Safe disposal of 350 tons of Household Hazardous Waste every year
  • Neighborhood cleanups; nuisance, code enforcement and blight cleanup
  • Call-2-Haul bulk collection service for residents

Surface Water

  • Protection of Commencement Bay, Puget Sound and tributaries from polluted runoff
  • Operation and maintenance of stormwater structures - including 500 miles of pipes, 22,000-plus catch basins (storm drains), four pump stations and numerous detention ponds/structures - to protect urban areas from flooding
  • Innovative stormwater treatment systems
  • Stormwater system inspections and monitoring
  • Habitat restoration in wetlands, tidelands and uplands

Wastewater

  • Prevention of untreated sewage from flowing to Commencement Bay and freshwater streams
  • Reclamation of billions of gallons of water every year
  • Generation of biogas for energy
  • Manufacture of TAGRO premium gardening projects, including 32,000 cubic yards of TAGRO Mix
  • Operation, maintenance and replacement of the City’s wastewater collection, transmission and treatment systems

Tacoma Power and Tacoma Water Rates

Please visit the Tacoma Power and Tacoma Water web pages for their current rate breakdowns.

Tacoma Power

Tacoma Water

Questions About Your Bill?

Environmental Services

Billing and Technical Services: (253) 502-2100     

  • Solid Waste Management Rates and Landfill Fees
  • Surface Water Management Rates
  • Wastewater Management Rates

Tacoma Public Utilities

Customer Services/Billing: (253) 502-8600

  • Tacoma Power Rates
  • Tacoma Water Rates

 

Need Help Paying Your Utility Bill?

The five utilities - Solid Waste, Surface Water, Wastewater, Tacoma Power and Tacoma Water - have a number of services to help customers who qualify for help paying their bills. See payment assistance for more information or call (253) 502-8369.

 

Wastewater, Surface Water, and Solid Waste Cost of Service Rate Study

In early 2016, the City of Tacoma Environmental Services Department engaged Raftelis Financial Consultants, Inc. (RFC) to update the financial plan and cost of service rate study for its three utilities: wastewater management, surface water management, and solid waste management. The goal of the study was to ensure that rates are equitable to all customer classes while also providing the ability to recover sufficient revenue to fund the operating and capital expenses of the utilities, thus ensuring financial stability. Rate models for each of the utilities were developed as an important part of the study and have since been improved and continue to provide financial projections and rate proposals contained in this report.

View the 2019-2020 Environmental Services Rate Report.

Utility Rates:
Solid Waste

Surface Water

Wastewater

Power

Water

 

Payment Assistance

 

Billing Questions

 

TPU Customer Services

(253) 502-8600

 

Environmental Services

(253) 502-2100