HUNTSVILLE — The city of Huntsville approved its first sewer rate increase in 20 years at Thursday’s meeting to support infrastructure investments within the aging sewer collection system and at five wastewater treatment facilities. The City Council approved the increase in a 4-1 vote at Thursday’s Council meeting.

The updated ordinance increases monthly sewer bills from $24.15 to $29.15 for an average residential customer, which remains far below the average Alabama sewer bill of $52.14 per month, officials said. Rates would increase by $1 per month each year beginning in 2026 until 2034.

According to the city, in 2034, the average residential sewer bill would be $39.15, still well below the current sewer bill average in the state.

The increase will help fund a $150 million infrastructure investment within its sewer collection system and treatment facilities over a 10-year capital plan. Like all utilities, a wastewater system’s infrastructure continues to age and reinvestment into the system is necessary to ensure reliability that meets regulatory requirements.

Officials said ortions of Huntsville’s system date back to the 1950s.