Philadelphia residents may be curious about why their water bills changed at the beginning of the month. As reported by the City of Philadelphia's official website, the new water, sewer, and stormwater rates kicked in on September 1, reflecting the costs of maintaining essential services and infrastructure for the city's inhabitants and businesses.
It's the Philadelphia Water Department (PWD) that provides the water and the Water Revenue Bureau (WRB) that handles billing, but neither is responsible for setting the rates—that task falls to the Rate Board, a body appointed by the mayor and approved by City Council and before any rate changes take effect, PWD must get the green light from them; the Board also conducts public hearings, inviting residents to voice their opinions, pose their questions, and provide feedback, demonstrating that the process behind these fiscal adjustments is anything but behind closed doors.
Rate adjustments aren’t made without significant public input. "A public advocate represents the interests of smaller residential and business customers at these hearings," detailed the City of Philadelphia's web post. Furthermore, the Rate Board allows individuals and organizations to participate directly in rate proceedings, ensuring a democratic process.
The criteria considered by the Rate Board come straight from directives set by the City Council, rates are ultimately approved, modified, or rejected after a full review that includes scrutiny of the hearing officer's recommendations, and if you want your voice heard during these crucial decision-making phases, you can always get involved by submitting comments to [email protected] or signing up for PWD alerts that will notify you about proposed rate changes through emails or text messages.
As PWD operates as a public, nonprofit utility, rate hikes are proposed to cover the cost of operational needs ranging from treating water before it reaches taps to ensuring that both water mains and pumping stations are up to snuff; charges seen on the water bills are there to support the treatment of water, maintenance of wastewater plants, stormwater infrastructure, and operational costs like metering and pollution prevention.
For those concerned about their ability to pay, the City has systems in place to assist. "The good news is that help is always available for qualifying residents who can’t afford their bills in full," reassures the official announcement. Senior citizens with incomes at or below $38,800 can receive a 25% discount, while the Tiered Assistance Program (TAP) aims to reduce bills for low-income residents, and special hardship cases, such as job loss, are also taken into consideration.
Philadelphia makes it clear that nobody should hesitate to apply for assistance, with a single application giving access to various relief programs, and flexible payment plans available as a safety net for those who find themselves ineligible.
