Board of Water Commissioners Approve Modified Water Rates Effective March 1, 2026
- December 17, 2025 | Category: Board of Water Commissioners, Customer Service, Your Water
At a public hearing on December 2025, the Board of Water Commissioners approved water rate modifications for all groups served by the Medford Water system, with the modified rates effective March 1, 2026.
Medford is growing at a rapid pace, and that growth requires reliable water service. At the same time, our system is aging and requires maintenance and replacement to continue to operate efficiently. Meeting these requirements is tied to the replacement of aging infrastructure, construction of resilient facilities, and improvements in the facilities that store, treat, and transport water to our approximately 150,000 (and growing) customers.
We conduct annual studies to determine the revenue necessary to fund these projects and keep up with inflationary costs; our 2025 study showed that rate modifications are needed. They average 13.6% for single-family residential customers in Medford with a 3/4″ meter, or approximately $5.67 per billing for average monthly usage of 12k gallons. To reduce impacts to customers, we also pursue alternative finance sources such as federal funding and grants whenever possible and work consistently to implement cost saving programs.
This funding strategy will allow us to continue a tradition of safely and effectively delivering water to the growing population of the Rogue Valley and is part of our mission to safeguard public health by providing a reliable, high-quality water supply at the best value for the next one hundred years. Charges both before and after the proposed modifications remain low compared with water providers locally and across the region, and revenue from water rates and other fees stay with us to be invested into the water system. If you have any questions, please call us at 541-774-2430.
For a non-inclusive summary of the modified rates as well as detailed schedules for all customer classes, effective March 1, 2026, click here.
