Philadelphia Water Bills Spike Drastically

Beginning the week of Sept. 1, Philadelphia residents will feel the pinch of a water rate hike. The Philadelphia Water Department has raised water rates by 9.4%. As a result, the average household in the city can expect to pay approximately $89 per bill, an increase of about $8.

The Philadelphia Water department stated that the rate increase, approved by the Philadelphia Water, Sewer, and Storm Water Rate Board, is in response to rising equipment and labor expenses. Additionally, new federal regulations now require water providers to take additional measures to improve surface and drinking water quality.

The rate increase would also help fund Philadelphia's 25-year, multibillion-dollar Water Revitalization Plan, designed to safeguard against future water system failures.

This month's increase is only the beginning for Philadelphia. According to WHYY, water bills in the city are expected to increase by another 5.5% next year.

“Unfortunately, in this day and age, the cost to operate that utility is getting higher and higher,” said Rob Ballenger, an attorney at Philadelphia Community Legal Services, in a statement shared with WHYY. “At the same time, there aren't federal and state resources being made available to help offset the need for the utilities to raise rates, to reinvest in [the infrastructure] that allows us to have safe and efficient water service in our homes … and, for the most part, that cost is being borne by the customers.”

The increased water rates will also allow the Philadelphia Water Department to make investments into a fund created to provide relief during challenging financial times, such as during the COVID-19 pandemic. In the years since the pandemic, available cash in this fund has decreased.

In response to its water rate increase, the department provides several programs to help residents who need assistance paying their bills. One initiative, the Tiered Assistance Program, permits residents to pay their water bills based on their incomes.