We understand that no one welcomes higher rates. Like you, Municipalities like Broken Arrow face similar inflationary pressures, which directly impact the cost of providing essential services on a daily basis. Here are a few examples of increased operational expenses the City has incurred. 

Water and Sewer 

Stormwater Daily Operations 

Sanitation 

Each public utility service provided by the City of Broken Arrow is continually evaluated throughout the year to ensure we are meeting the expectations of our community. The evaluation process assesses the operational costs associated with those services and the reinvestment into our Capital Improvements Program to enhance the utility infrastructure to meet future needs. Each increase is thoroughly scrutinized to confirm any rate adjustment is warranted and driven solely by the need to maintain and improve on our delivery of these essential services.

In early 2022, Covanta, the waste-to-energy plant the city had contracted to offload customer garbage, advised it would increase its rates from $13.77 per ton to a minimum of $25.25 per ton to begin when the current contract expired on June 30, 2022. The city elected to not renew its agreement with Covanta. Instead, the city began disposing of customer waste at the Waste Management landfill for $24 per ton. With each year, the rate of the disposal fee incurred by the city increases. 

Beginning July 1, 2025, the city’s cost to dump garbage increased to $27.81 per ton, and the city’s cost to dump treated wastewater sludge increased to $36.34. An additional cost of $1.25 per ton is imposed by the Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality. 

The $2.50-per-month rate increase will help offset some of the expenses the city incurs to provide sanitation services.