Liberty Utilities Litchfield Park, which serves customers in Litchfield Park, Goodyear, Glendale, and Avondale, is proposing significant rate increases for water and wastewater services, citing $197 million in infrastructure improvements and regulatory compliance costs as the key drivers behind the request.
The proposed changes, filed with the Arizona Corporation Commission, could take effect in the third quarter of 2026.
Under the proposal, average residential water bills would rise by approximately 43%, or over $10 per month. Wastewater bills would see an even steeper increase of 54%, or nearly $25 per month.
Liberty Litchfield Park is requesting a total water and wastewater revenue increase aimed at achieving an 8.45% rate of return on the company’s proposed fair value rate base.
Company officials said that the rate case is necessary to recover costs tied to significant capital improvements made over the last several years.
“The case really carries the most significant amount of investment in infrastructure,” said Regina Wise, a Liberty Water representative. “Wastewater is the major driver and the rate increases that folks are seeing.”
The vast majority of the spending focuses on wastewater, where investments total $145 million.
For the water supply itself, Liberty has prioritized security and expansion with with new spending.
“We’re investing in our community,” said Moses Thompson, president of Liberty. “We’ve invested $52 million... a good portion of that is these wells that provide additional water sources that make us resilient and consistent for our customers.”
The urgency of the filing stems from a lack of past rate adjustments, leaving Liberty playing catch-up with rising operating costs.
“Current rates that customers are paying are based on operating costs from 2016... This (rate adjustment will) align us so that our rates are actually being covered at the current cost,” Wise said.
The need for a new water treatment plant, officials explained, was driven by sustained regional expansion and high system usage.
To prevent future sharp cost increases, Liberty is proposing a new formula rate approach, which would allow for more frequent, smaller adjustments. Officials said they hope the new approach will benefit customers over the long term.
“That will really allow users to avoid rate shock; fluctuating more frequently would allow us to ease into higher or lower prices as needed,” Wise said.
In addition to the rate increases, Liberty is requesting approval for a rate case expense surcharge of 44 cents per water customer and 53 cents per wastewater customer monthly for three years. Liberty is also seeking authorization to issue up to $65 million in long-term debt financing.
Public comments are encouraged throughout the process.
Liberty will hold two more community meetings in October:
Tuesday, Oct. 21, at the Hampton Inn & Suites Goodyear, 2000 N. Litchfield Road, from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m.
Thursday, Oct. 23, at Dreaming Summit Elementary, 13335 W. Missouri Ave., in Litchfield Park, from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m.
A formal public hearing before the Arizona Corporation Commission is scheduled to begin March 23, 2026, at 10 a.m. at the Commission’s offices in Phoenix.
More information is available at azcc.gov and libertyutilities.com.
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