Hawaii County wastewater rates could rise 20% in November
A typical Hilo-area sewer bill could jump 20% in November, with bigger increases ahead as Hawaii County tries to fund more than $1 billion in wastewater repairs.
Hawaii County wastewater bills are set to rise 20% in November, and the typical single-family customer will see the charge more than double over the next five years. Environmental Management Commission members pushed back Wednesday, June 24, as county staff laid out a draft rate study that would push sewer fees higher to cover mounting costs.
The county’s five-year wastewater rate study projects revenues, expenses and cost-of-service rates for the utility. The goal is to bring wastewater revenue closer to the real cost of operating the system instead of relying so heavily on the General Fund, even as the utility faces more than $1 billion in wastewater and cesspool-related upgrades over the next five years.
The biggest single project is the $337 million rehabilitation and replacement of the Hilo Wastewater Treatment Plant, which serves about 30,000 residents and treats about 3 million gallons of wastewater a day on average. Built in the early 1990s, the plant has been flagged for repeated corrosion and spills, and county engineering assessments have identified mechanical defects, structural deterioration and extensive corrosion that could lead to a sewage spill. The county entered into a March 2024 Administrative Order on Consent with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to address the Hilo facility and other wastewater problems, including deficiencies and violations cited in the county system from 2017 through 2022.
The County of Hawaii Wastewater Division maintains 120 miles of sewer mains, 16 pump stations and seven treatment facilities, and it treats about 5 million gallons of wastewater a day countywide. The Hilo plant project was already under an emergency proclamation in 2025, and groundbreaking for the rehabilitation and replacement work took place July 31, 2025.
The county’s Pāhala wastewater project received a Notice of Award on February 4, 2026, and a Notice to Proceed on March 6, 2026. The proposed rate changes are not final. They still need County Council approval.
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