It is 6:40 a.m. The prep sink is full of frozen chicken and the faucet is wide open. It will stay that way for the next ninety minutes, the same as yesterday and the same as tomorrow. The only thing changing is the price of every gallon going down that drain. This post covers what 2027 water and sewer rates look like, what they add to your bill, and what to do about it before your budget is locked.

Water rates are going up again in 2027

Fall is when most utilities finalize next year's rates, and most new rates start on January 1. The direction is not a surprise. Bluefield Research tracks water and sewer bills in the 50 largest U.S. cities. Its latest report found combined household bills rose 5.1% in a single year and 24.2% over five years. Since 2000, those bills are up 207%, while overall inflation was 93%. Commercial accounts ride the same curve.

The 2027 announcements are already coming in:

  • Loudoun Water, Virginia: a 7% increase on water and sewer each year for the next three years. The next one starts January 1, 2027.
  • Corpus Christi, Texas: new water and wastewater rates start January 1, 2027 and apply to every customer class, including commercial.
  • Panama City Beach, Florida: water up 5.5% and sewer up 7% for fiscal year 2027.
  • San Diego County Water Authority: a 3% wholesale increase for 2027, which local water agencies then pass along in their own rates.

Utilities give the same reasons everywhere: aging pipes, new water supply projects, and higher costs for power and treatment chemicals. None of those are going away, so plan on increases every year, not just this one.

The running faucet problem

You pay for every gallon twice

Most commercial bills charge for water coming in and sewer going out, both based on the same meter reading. When a utility raises water 5.5% and sewer 7%, a faucet running into a drain takes both hits.

Thawing is the biggest open tap in the building

A commercial prep faucet runs at about 6 gallons per minute. Ten pounds of chicken breasts takes 360 to 540 gallons to thaw under running water. A case of tuna loin takes 720 to 1,080 gallons. Do that every shift and thawing becomes one of the largest water uses in your kitchen. See the full breakdown in how much water commercial kitchens waste thawing food.

The increases stack up

A 7% increase sounds small. Three of them in a row is 22.5%. The faucet never uses less water, so the cost only moves one way.

Real kitchen example: A mid-volume restaurant thawing under running water across two shifts spends about $16,425 to $26,280 a year on that water and sewer at $0.025 per gallon. A 7% rate increase adds $1,150 to $1,840 next year for the exact same gallons. After three years of 7% increases, the same faucet costs $20,121 to $32,194 a year.

Health inspector note: Rising rates tempt kitchens to turn the faucet down to a trickle or thaw in standing water. Both can fail an inspection. FDA Food Code Section 3-501.13 requires running water at 70°F or colder with enough flow to flush loose particles away. Cutting flow saves gallons and creates a violation. Read Section 3-501.13 explained for the full rule.

How to prepare your 2027 budget

  1. Find your new rate. Check your utility's website or call your account rep and ask for the 2027 commercial water and sewer rates and the date they start.
  2. Find your real cost per gallon. Add the water and sewer usage charges on your last bill and divide by the gallons used. Many kitchens land near $0.025 per gallon combined, and some pay far more.
  3. Measure your thawing gallons. Time how long the thaw faucet runs each day and multiply by 6 gallons per minute. Most operators are surprised by the number.
  4. Apply the increase. Multiply daily gallons by your new rate and by the days you operate. That is your 2027 thawing line item if nothing changes.
  5. Cut gallons, not flow. You cannot negotiate the rate. The only number you control is how many gallons you use.

What kitchens are switching to

The CNSRV DC:02 thaws food in cold water that is filled once and recirculated, so the faucet is off for the whole cycle. It uses 5 to 20 gallons per cycle, a 95 to 98% reduction compared with the running faucet. Food still thaws in cold moving water, which protects quality and yield, and the process stays inside the food code.

The budget math changes with it. That same mid-volume restaurant drops from $16,425 to $26,280 a year to about $137 to $548. A 7% rate increase on that is $10 to $38. Rate increases stop being a budget problem when there are almost no gallons left to charge for.

In some regions there is a bonus on top of the savings. Utilities including Metropolitan Water District offer rebates on the DC:02. Check the state by state rebate guide to see what applies to you.

If you are planning for the holidays at the same time, scaling thawing for Thanksgiving and holiday volume covers the busiest thawing weeks of the year.

The bottom line

Water and sewer rates are going up in 2027, and they will go up again in 2028. A running faucet uses the same gallons every day, so its cost climbs with every increase. The kitchens that come out ahead are the ones that cut the gallons before the new rates start.

Use the savings calculator to see what your kitchen spends on thawing water today, or book a demo to see the DC:02 in action before January 1.