Residents in Blaine, Minnesota, are questioning steep increases in their quarterly water bills after some households reported charges more than twice as high as those received the previous year.
The city increased its water rates by about 18% in 2026, following annual rises since 2018. Charges are calculated through a tiered system, meaning the price per 1,000 gallons increases as household consumption rises. ([fox9.com](https://www.fox9.com/news/blaine-residents-facing-water-bill-sticker-shock-question-costs))
Matthew Jarombek said his latest bill was $743, compared with $311 for the previous quarter.
“It’s twice as much, $311 vs $743. My wife almost passed out when she saw the bill,” he said.
Another resident, Joel Rice, said his bill had reached $452, prompting him to contact neighbours. He said they reported bills ranging from $530 to $900.
“These are just going up like crazy,” Rice said. “What is going on around here that we have to keep paying higher and higher and they’ve been going up for years?”
Blaine water bills include several services
Under the city’s 2026 schedule, residential water customers pay a quarterly service charge of $13.07, alongside usage fees. The first 24,000 gallons are charged at $3.82 per 1,000 gallons, with higher rates applying to greater consumption. ([blainemn.gov](https://www.blainemn.gov/284/Utility-Rates?utm_source=openai))
However, the quarterly utility bill also covers sewerage, rubbish and recycling, and stormwater services. The city lists the standard residential sewer charge at $106.46 per quarter and stormwater at $19.96, while rubbish and recycling charges vary according to the size of the bin. ([blainemn.gov](https://www.blainemn.gov/284/Utility-Rates?utm_source=openai))
Blaine communications manager Ben Hayle said the larger bills reflected both the rate increase and higher usage during the summer, when lawn watering can significantly increase consumption.
He said the rate adjustment was intended to help the city reduce its reliance on long-term borrowing and pay for capital needs using cash reserves instead.
For households remaining within the lowest water tier, the city said total quarterly utility bills were routinely below $300. It also said tiered pricing was standard across the industry.
Residents have also raised questions about apparent overnight water use, including cases where irrigation systems were not programmed to operate at those times. The city said staff could investigate suspected leaks or account problems and that it monitored properties for continuous water flow.
The city said the rate changes had been discussed during several public meetings and that the final figures were published online as part of the annual budget process. ([blainemn.gov](https://www.blainemn.gov/284/Utility-Rates?utm_source=openai))
A smaller 5% increase has been proposed for 2027, with officials saying the longer-term aim is to make future adjustments more stable and predictable.
