Special to the Record
he Chelsea Department of Public Works will hold a public hearing to discuss the proposed changes to the City’s water, sewer, and trash utility rates for fiscal year 2026 on Tuesday, July 1, at 6 p.m. in Room 305 located on the third floor of Chelsea City Hall.
Utility rates in Chelsea are proposed annually by the Commissioner of the Department of Public Works (DPW) and approved by the City Manager at the start of each fiscal year. The rates are presented to and discussed with the Chelsea City Council and members of the public before implementation. This year’s proposed changes are driven by rising infrastructure and disposal costs as well as planned capital investments by the City’s supplier, the Massachusetts Water Resource Authority (MWRA), according to city officials.
“Despite rising costs to the City, we’re keeping overall rate increases minimal for households and businesses,” said Chelsea DPW Commissioner Cate Fox-Lent. “We expect the new water and sewer rates to only cost average households an additional $25.45 per year. These minimum rate changes are necessary to balance our goals of ensuring City utilities are affordable for all residents, maintaining high-quality services, and managing rising costs to the City.”
The Chelsea community can expect:
Water Rates for Tier 1, 2, and 3 users to increase by 3.5%;
Tier 1 sewer rates to remain the same;
Tier 2 sewer rates to increase by 0.5%;
Tier 3 sewer rates to increase by 1%; and
Trash fees across all non-owner-occupied units to increase by 10%.
Trash services for all owner-occupied units will remain free.
“As landfill space becomes more limited in Massachusetts and state mandates increase, local governments must adapt to rising costs,” said Fox-Lent. “The increase in our trash fees will offset rising disposal costs and services like mattress recycling.”
Residents, business owners, and nonprofit representatives are encouraged to attend the July 1 public hearing to learn more and provide feedback. For those who cannot attend, please call Chelsea 311 at (617) 466-4209 to leave a comment.
Supporting documents, including the full rate analysis and draft rate schedules, are available on the City’s website at www.chelseama.gov/departments/water___sewer/index.php or can be picked up in person at Chelsea City Hall, Room #310, 500 Broadway.