Byron Utility Rates Rise in 2026

At their January meeting, Byron city council members approved water and sewer rate increases for 2026. These increases are based on a study completed two years ago which detailed how much money would be needed in the future for Byron to maintain the infrastructure for the water and sewer utilities. Infrastructure includes everything from the wastewater treatment plant to the city’s water towers and all equipment in between that is the city’s responsibility.  Water rates will increase by 5% for both base and flow rates, while sewer rates increase by 4% beginning in February.   Every community must plan how to pay for the costs of maintaining and improving its infrastructures. During the study two years ago, the analysis showed that Byron’s water bills were lower than the average water bill of similarly sized cities. Included in the study were Wabasha, Dodge Center, Lake City, Zumbrota, Plainview, Stewartville, Pine Island, La Crescent, Chatfield and Kasson. Costs for smaller cities cannot realistically be compared to large cities like Rochester because there is a higher population in a large city to share the costs.  Some of the monthly fees paid in are saved in a reserve account to help pay for large infrastructure improvements in the future. In Minnesota, utilities must be self-sustaining; rates paid by users must be sufficient to maintain the utility.