Columbus could see another double digit water rate hike to pay for water infrastructure projects

Columbus City Council member Christopher Wyche, flanked by Council President Shannon Hardin, talk about proposed regulations on data centers and large industrial developments at a news conference on September 16, 2026.(George Shillcock / WOSU )Columbus is weighing another steep water bill increase that would cost the average household an extra $123 annually, one year after a similar increase was proposed.An 18% increase would impact customers in Columbus, its suburbs and outlying communities that rely on the city's water systems if approved by Columbus City Council. Projections presented by Columbus Water and Power last year show water bills could increase by more than 10% for the next several years until 2032.That's on top of a 4% increase for sanitary/sewer costs and a 2% increase for stormwater costs.The city says much of the new revenue will go towards building a new water treatment plant and other costly projects to accommodate for growth. A similar proposal last year also claimed