A home using 5,000 gallons would pay $41.25 a month for city water and sewer, up from $24.57. The council tabled the vote Oct. 20 and holds a rates workshop Oct. 27.
Updated Oct. 23: The City Council tabled the ordinance again Oct. 20, “subject to call,” according to the city’s record of that meeting’s agenda. The council has not voted on the rates. The council will discuss water and sewer rates at a workshop right after its 1:30 p.m. meeting Tuesday, Oct. 27. The same meeting hears a $1.90 increase in the monthly garbage fee.
Biloxi’s water and sewer bills would rise sharply under an ordinance the City Council took up again Oct. 20. A home using 5,000 gallons a month would pay $41.25 for city water and sewer, up from $24.57 now.
The council heard the ordinance on first reading Sept. 22 and tabled it Oct. 6. It was back as a second reading on the agenda for the 1:30 p.m. meeting Tuesday, Oct. 20, in the council chambers on the second floor of City Hall, 140 Lameuse St.
What would change
The ordinance and its fact sheet replace Biloxi’s tiered rates with one flat structure for every customer.
| Charge | Now (from Oct. 1, 2026) | Proposed |
|---|---|---|
| Water minimum | $5.21 for up to 3,000 gallons | $5.50 for up to 2,000 gallons |
| Water above the minimum | $1.54 to $2.13 per 1,000 gallons, rising with use | $2.75 per 1,000 gallons |
| Sewer minimum | $9.76 for up to 3,000 gallons | $11.00 for up to 2,000 gallons |
| Sewer above the minimum | $3.26 to $4.35 per 1,000 gallons, rising with use | $5.50 per 1,000 gallons |
The ordinance also changes the separate Harrison County Utility Authority charge on every bill. That charge is $3.80 per 1,000 gallons. Since Feb. 1, 2021, the city has cut it by 50 cents per 1,000 gallons on the first 25,000 gallons a month. The ordinance deletes that reduction.
The rate schedule adopted earlier had set small increases each Oct. 1 through September 2027. The new rates have no built-in yearly steps.
What it would cost a household
We worked out the monthly city water and sewer charge at three levels of use from the rate tables in the ordinance. These figures leave out the county utility authority charge and anything else on the bill.
- 3,000 gallons: $24.75, up from $14.97
- 5,000 gallons: $41.25, up from $24.57
- 8,000 gallons: $66.00, up from $42.36
Ending the 50-cent reduction would add 50 cents for every 1,000 gallons, up to 25,000 gallons. At 5,000 gallons that is another $2.50 a month.
Why the city says it needs the money
The Mississippi Rural Water Association did a free rate study for the city in August. Its letter to Public Works Director Christy LeBatard, attached to the ordinance as Exhibit A, found that the city’s projected revenue would fall short of projected expenses.
The association said Biloxi has “some of the cheapest rates in the state.” It said that comes at a cost: “operating in the negative and not being able to address infrastructure improvements and required operational maintenance.”
The letter made three more points:
- The current tiered structure “put more of a burden on high usage customers.”
- Biloxi’s sewer rates are already about 200% of the water bill, and the association proposed keeping that ratio.
- At the proposed rates, “the city will still have some of the cheapest rates in the state.”
LeBatard recommends the association’s rates “to provide sufficient revenue to stabilize the Water and Sewer Fund,” the ordinance says. City staff recommend approval. Mayor Andrew “FoFo” Gilich introduced it.
The ordinance also cites state law. Mississippi Senate Bill 2526 requires providers to get a rate study every five years and to put the recommended rates in place within a year. It also requires at least 5% of gross revenue to go into a dedicated refurbishment and replacement account.
When it would take effect
The ordinance takes effect on passage if the council votes for it unanimously. If the vote is not unanimous, it takes effect once it is signed and certified “as is otherwise provided by law.”
What it means for you
- Check your own use. Your monthly bill shows the gallons used. Compare it with the figures above to see what the change would cost you.
- Speak at the meeting. Each regular council meeting sets aside 45 minutes for citizens’ comments. The next is at 1:30 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 27, before the rates workshop.
- Contact your council member. Numbers for all seven ward council members are in our guide to who to call at City Hall.
- Questions about a bill go to the Water Department office at 228-435-6240.
Also on the Oct. 20 agenda: second readings of eight zoning map changes, five of them in East Biloxi, and new capital projects for roof replacements and public safety generators. We will report the council’s decision on the rates when it votes.
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