Residents and businesses will see wastewater charges increase each year for the next five years.

The City Council voted Tuesday, September 9 to approve 7% annual wastewater rate increases between 2026 and 2030. Put another way, a bill in 2030 would cost roughly 40% more than if it were charged under today’s rates.

Residents might associate the expected rate increase with the sewer capacity issues that have halted development in parts of Bentonville. However, city leaders maintain that the upgrades needed to fix those issues will not be financed by higher customer rates.

“No pipe upsizing” will be financed by the updated rates, Preston Newbill, deputy director of the water utility, said at an earlier meeting.

However, the $152.7 million cost of expanding the sewage treatment plant will be reflected in customer bills and partly explains the expected increases.