There are upcoming changes to the City of Leavenworth’s Utility System Development Charges (SDCs) for Water, Sanitary Sewer, and Storm Sewer systems. Recently adopted by the Leavenworth City Council via Resolution 25-2025, these changes will go into effect on January 1, 2026.
Deadline for Current Rates: To qualify for the current 2025 rates (i.e., before the increase), the City must receive a complete permit application that is approved and has all fees paid prior to December 31, 2025. Any connection permits finalized after this date will be subject to the new rates.
The following SDC rates include the 2026 inflation adjustment and will be effective January 1, 2026:
- Water: $9,621.05 per Equivalent Residential Unit (ERU)
- Sanitary Sewer: $3,738.32 per ERU
- Storm Sewer: $1,376.70 per ERU
To balance bringing these charges to the correct levels without immediately overburdening new connections, the City Council has opted to phase in these increases over the next few years. Water and Sewer are anticipated to increase approximately 20% in 2027 and 10% in 2028. Stormwater is anticipated to increase approximately 10% in 2027. Please note that rates for 2027 and beyond will also include an annual inflation adjustment based on the CPI-U. For a more detailed look at the rates, please visit col.dev.3sherpas.com/utility-rates/.
These rate increases are necessary to ensure SDCs accurately reflect the impact of development on the City’s utility systems. SDCs are paid by new connections to pay for existing capacity already within the system, and fund necessary future expansions to handle growth.
If you have specific questions regarding a permit or application status, please contact our Permit Technician, Aiden Coker, at acoker@col.dev.3sherpas.com or (509) 548-5275 ext. 130.
