The mayor of Hialeah, Bryan Calvo, announced this Tuesday a 25% reduction in water and sewer rates for thousands of residential and commercial customers in the city, marking the most significant relief in the cost of this service in recent years.
The measure will come into effect on October 1 and will cover those who consume between zero and 10,000 gallons per billing cycle. According to the municipal administration, approximately 30,000 accounts will benefit.
"Today we are announcing that we will be lowering, effective October first, the water and sewer bill for the city of Hialeah," Calvo declared during a press conference.
"I have proposed a 25% reduction in water and sewer rates for households and businesses that meet the requirements and consume up to 10,000 gallons per month. Additionally, further assistance will be provided to eligible seniors," he specified.
The mayor acknowledged that upon taking office, he found the water department with a deficit of approximately 30 million dollars. However, he explained that recovering overdue accounts allowed for the financial health of the system to be restored enough to implement the rate reduction.
"We have been able to recover millions of dollars from people who were not paying their water bills. Based on all these factors and this work, we are able to make this announcement today," he stated.
The announcement comes after years of complaints from residents who described increasingly high and unpredictable bills.
The measure does not eliminate the tiered structure that charges higher rates to those who consume more water.
An average household in Hialeah consumes about 5,250 gallons per month. According to calculations presented by the city, after applying the reduction, a bill of approximately 78 dollars a month could decrease to around 62 dollars.
Calvo stated that the change will position Hialeah among the cities with the lowest costs for this service in Miami-Dade.
In addition to the overall reduction, the city introduced a specific discount program for low-income seniors: a 50% discount on water and sewer services for those who are 65 years or older, own their home with a city water account that has an individual meter, have approved Homestead and Senior exemptions, and report a maximum household income of $38,686.
The beneficiaries of this program will receive an additional credit equivalent to another 25%, in addition to the general reduction.
"This is exactly what I promised the people of Hialeah. We reviewed the numbers and found a way to provide relief that truly makes a difference," he stated.
Hialeah is also progressing in the installation of new water meters aimed at obtaining more accurate measurements. Four different companies are currently being evaluated before deciding which system to adopt permanently.
In September 2025, the City Council had approved the removal of the franchise fee on water and sewer bills - a historic surcharge that inflated household payments - resulting in an average savings of $61 per household per year and meaning that the city stopped collecting $3.7 million annually intended for the general fund.
Only a month prior, the previous administration had anticipated an increase of between 15% and 17% in water bills, prompted by a rate adjustment by Miami-Dade County.
Calvo won the mayoralty in November 2025 with 53% of the votes and took office in January. From the beginning of his administration, reducing the cost of water was one of his main promises.
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