Florence's new water rates took effect on June 1, 2026. By July 20, two Lauderdale County water authorities that buy part of their supply from the city had raised their own rates, and a third had said its increase would start in July. If you're comparing a house inside city limits with one a few miles out on a county road, the water bill is part of what you're comparing. Before you write an offer, find out which provider serves that address and how much water its minimum bill actually covers.
What Changed Inside Florence on June 1
On May 5, the Florence City Council voted 6-0 to raise the residential water base rate from $15.07 to $24.75. WAFF reported that the council also raised the sewer rate by nearly 10%. In the same report, Councilwoman Chapel King, who chairs the utilities committee, called the decision difficult but necessary to keep the department financially stable and to replace aging water lines.
Under the new schedule, urban residential customers pay a $24.75 monthly minimum that covers the first 3,000 gallons. Urban sewer is $5.20 per 1,000 gallons, with a $23.41 monthly minimum on a standard 5/8-inch meter. WZDX reported that Mayor Ron Tyler put the increase for most households at about $20 to $30 a month. He pointed to more than 100 miles of pipe needing replacement, some of it about 90 years old, and estimated water loss from leaking clay and steel lines at 20% to 25%.
The city's own explanation, on its "Let's Talk About Water" page, is that rates had stayed mostly flat while costs rose. Without action, it projected a deficit of about $1.9 million by 2027. The page also says that in some cases it cost more to produce and deliver water than the city was charging for it. That last point is why the increase didn't stay inside the city.
Why the Increase Reached County Homes
Florence Gas and Water serves about 28,000 customers directly. Through wholesale agreements, its water reaches roughly 100,000 people. The TimesDaily reported that department manager Tad Cole said Florence was spending more to produce water than it received from its wholesale customers. Those contracts were set to expire June 30, new ones were being drawn up, and the proposed new wholesale price was $3.75 per 1,000 gallons. A separate TimesDaily report named the buyers: West Lauderdale Water Authority, Greenhill Water and Fire Authority, and Chisholm Heights Water Authority, with East Lauderdale Water Authority buying on an emergency basis.
When a wholesale price goes up, the authority buying the water has to cover it somehow. Janet Cox, office manager at the Greenhill authority, told the TimesDaily that about half of Greenhill's water comes from Florence and that the share climbs to around 60% in summer. "We have no choice but to pass along charges to customers because they are raising the rates we purchase from them," she told the paper.
So a city rate decision ended up in the bills of households that don't live in Florence and had no vote on it. A house a short drive from the city line can feel like it's in a separate market. Its water bill turned out to be tied to the same decision as one on Wood Avenue.
The Minimum Bill Covers Different Amounts of Water
Florence's minimum covers 3,000 gallons. The county authorities' minimums cover 2,000. Comparing $24.75 with $25 or $26 makes the bills look about the same. They aren't, because the city's minimum includes an extra thousand gallons.
The table below compares water charges at the same 3,000 gallons. It's an example built from each provider's published rates, not a quote for any particular house.
| Provider | Monthly minimum | Gallons in minimum | Rate for the next 1,000 gallons | Water cost at 3,000 gallons |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Florence, urban residential | $24.75 | 3,000 | Not needed at this level | $24.75 |
| Greenhill, from July 20 | $25.00 | 2,000 | $9.00 | $34.00 |
| Chisholm Heights, from July 1 | $26.00 | 2,000 | $8.75 | $34.75 |
| West Lauderdale, posted schedule | $24.37 | 2,000 | $9.90 | $34.27 |
Greenhill's rates page shows the new schedule, updated July 20, 2026. Before the change, the TimesDaily reported a $22 minimum for 2,000 gallons and $6.75 per 1,000 gallons after that. Chisholm Heights moved from $20 to $26 for the first 2,000 gallons. It charges $8.75 per 1,000 gallons from 2,001 to 10,000 and $8.50 per 1,000 above 10,000. Higher usage widens the gap, because every county gallon past 2,000 is billed at the higher per-thousand rate.
Florence's own rural customers were already paying a premium before this year. Under the schedule effective July 1, 2023, the urban minimum was $15.06 for 3,000 gallons. The rural minimum, for customers outside city limits other than Killen, was $21.06. The city's FAQ described this year's proposal as one that "aligns rates across urban and rural customers." If you're looking at a home on Florence water outside the city, check that address's current rate schedule with the department rather than relying on the old split.
A City Address Also Pays for Sewer
A city bill has a second line the water-only comparison leaves out. Inside Florence, sewer is billed at $5.20 per 1,000 gallons with a $23.41 minimum. At 3,000 gallons, the volume charge comes to $15.60, which is below the minimum, so the $23.41 applies. A city household using 3,000 gallons pays about $48.16 a month for water and sewer combined.
The fair comparison is between total monthly bills. A county home may have no sewer service, or may get it from another provider. Either way, the city's lower water line doesn't settle which house costs less to run until you know how wastewater is handled at each address. For land and acreage buyers, that question already belongs next to well, septic and utility access on the checklist in our guide to buying land and acreage near Florence.
What Could Still Change This Fall
The numbers in that table aren't fixed for long. Florence's ordinance includes an annual inflation adjustment tied to the Consumer Price Index and capped at 5% a year unless the council approves more. WHNT reported that the city expects increases of 3% to 5% a year after the first year. The city's FAQ adds that future federal requirements for PFAS treatment aren't covered by this increase and will be handled separately.
In the county, several decisions were still open at last report:
- West Lauderdale Water Board: Office manager Jessica Brown told the TimesDaily that the board hadn't decided whether to raise rates and usually makes rate decisions in the fall.
- East Lauderdale Water Authority: Officials said an increase would start in July and that they would announce the amount later.
- Rogersville Water Works and Sewer Board: It had no current plans to raise rates but said an increase could come up while budgeting for the fiscal year that starts October 1.
- Lexington Water Works: It had no current plans to raise rates, after an increase at the start of the year.
West Lauderdale's posted schedule and Rogersville's budget are exactly the kind of numbers that can change between your offer and your first bill. If a home in either area is on your list, call the provider for the current rate.
Why This Matters at Today's Pace
Buyers in the Shoals have more time to ask these questions than they did a year ago. In July 2026, the latest month the Alabama Center for Real Estate has reported for the Shoals area, active listings reached 909, up 20.9% from July 2025. Supply stood at 4.2 months, against the roughly six months ACRE treats as balanced. The median sales price was $269,450, up 1.3% year over year, and homes averaged 60 days on the market.
With more listings to choose from and prices rising slowly, many buyers end up choosing between two homes that look alike on paper. A monthly cost that never shows up in the list price can decide which one fits the budget. Before an offer on any address in or around Florence, it helps to know:
- Which provider delivers the water: Florence Gas and Water, or an authority such as Greenhill, Chisholm Heights, West Lauderdale or East Lauderdale.
- How many gallons that provider's minimum bill covers, and what each thousand gallons after that costs.
- How wastewater is handled at the property, and what it costs each month.
- Whether that provider has a rate decision or an annual adjustment coming up.
- What the current owner's recent bills have run, if they're willing to share them.
Those answers, together with the cost items in our post on closing costs for buyers in Florence, give you a truer picture of the monthly cost than the list price can.
When we compare homes with buyers on either side of the city line, finding out who sends the water bill is part of the work. If you're weighing a Florence address against one out in Lauderdale County, Pamela Holt Butler and Russell can help you collect the provider details for every house on your list before you decide. Work With Us.
