Keeping Prattville’s Essential Services Strong

Every day, the City of Prattville provides essential sanitation and wastewater services that protect public health, preserve our environment, and support our growing community. These services are critical to maintaining the quality of life residents expect and deserve.

Like many communities, Prattville has faced significant increases in the cost of providing essential services. Equipment costs, maintenance expenses, landfill disposal fees, and infrastructure needs have all continued to rise, creating real challenges in keeping our services strong and affordable. Now more than ever, it is crucial for our community to come together, stay informed, and support the actions needed to maintain the high quality of life we all value. Join the conversation—your voice matters as we work together to secure Prattville’s future.

To help address these challenges, the City commissioned Jackson Thornton in 2025 to conduct a comprehensive rate study of the Sanitation Enterprise Fund and the Sewer/Wastewater Enterprise Fund. The study evaluated the long-term financial needs of both systems, and its findings were presented to the Sanitation Committee, Wastewater Committee, and Finance Committee in 2026.

Based on the study’s recommendations, the City is proposing adjustments to sanitation and wastewater rates to help ensure these essential services remain reliable, financially sustainable, and capable of meeting the needs of our community for years to come.

The proposed ordinances (documenting the rate changes) will be on the agenda for the Tuesday, August 4, 2026, City Council meeting and voted on by the City Council. If you have concerns or questions, please attend the August 4^th meeting or email your city councilor.

 

Let’s talk Numbers. 

Sanitation and Wastewater services operate as Enterprise Funds, meaning they are funded entirely through customer fees, not tax dollars. Every dollar collected is used exclusively to operate, maintain, repair, and improve these systems.

The proposed rate adjustments will help ensure these funds remain financially sustainable while allowing the City to continue providing the dependable services our residents rely on every day.

 

Sanitation Rate Increase:

Residents are currently paying $21 per month for garbage collection, a rate that has remained unchanged since 2021. The city is proposing a $5 monthly increase, bringing the monthly rate for the first residential garbage container to $26 per month, beginning on October 1, 2026.

 

Why is this increase needed?

Since the last rate adjustment in FY 2022:

• Fleet maintenance costs have increased 40%.
• Landfill tipping fees have increased 13%.
• Fuel, equipment, replacement parts, labor, and operational costs have all continued to rise.

These increases have significantly outpaced current sanitation revenues, making a rate adjustment necessary to maintain dependable service.

 

Proposed Rates Effective October 1, 2026

Residential

• First City-issued container: $26.00 per month
• Each additional City-issued container: $20.00 per month

(The initial fee for subsequent containers may be adjusted annually by the Sanitation Director.)

Business

• $26.00 per month for each container
• Separate rates apply for businesses requiring bulk collection services.
• $150.00 per month for each 8-yard cardboard recycling dumpster for private business

The monthly sanitation fee continues to include:

• Weekly household garbage collection
• Recycling collection
• Yard debris collection
• One Bulk item collection

 

Wastewater Rate Increase:

Residents currently pay $16 per month for wastewater services, a rate that has remained unchanged since 2020.

However, it now costs the City an average of $28.01 per household each month to provide wastewater service. The City is proposing an $8.00 increase in sewer and wastewater service, bringing the monthly rate to $24 per month, beginning on October 1, 2026.

 

Why is this increase needed?

Prattville’s wastewater system requires major investments to continue serving our growing community.

Key projects include:

• Autauga Creek Wastewater Treatment Plant

• • Nearly 50 years old
  • Estimated upgrade cost: $38 million

• East Prattville Wastewater Interceptor

• • Upsizing a major interceptor line serving east Prattville
  • Estimated cost: $8 million

These projects are part of a 10-year capital improvement plan that began in 2018.

Additional facts:

• Approximately $50 million has been invested in Prattville’s wastewater infrastructure over the past decade while keeping rate increases to a minimum.
• The last wastewater rate adjustment occurred in 2020.
• The majority of the proposed increase is allocated to commercial and industrial customers, while residential customers receive the smallest increase.
• All wastewater fees are deposited into the Wastewater Enterprise Fund, where every dollar is dedicated solely to operating, maintaining, repairing, and improving Prattville’s wastewater system.
• According to the 2023 Environmental Finance Center/ADEM survey of 342 Alabama utilities, the median wastewater base charge is $20.05, with a median usage charge of $6.05 per 1,000 gallons.

 

Proposed Rates Effective October 1, 2026

Residential (Inside City Limits)

• Base Rate: $24.00
• Usage: $3.60 per 1,000 gallons

Residential (Outside City Limits)

• Base Rate: $25.50
• Usage: $3.60 per 1,000 gallons

Commercial (Inside City Limits)

• Base Rate: $45.00
• Usage: $4.95 per 1,000 gallons

Commercial (Outside City Limits)

• Base Rate: $48.00
• Usage: $4.95 per 1,000 gallons

Industrial

• Base Rate: $150.00
• Usage: $4.95 per 1,000 gallons