New York City is floating a 6% hike to water and sewer rates starting July 1, 2026, and Brooklynites will get their say in an in‑person hearing next month. The citywide listening tour hits every borough in early June, with Brooklyn’s session set for Tuesday, June 2 at 6 p.m. The New York City Water Board is slated to take a final vote on the proposal at its June 10 meeting. City officials say the higher rates are needed to keep up with rising operating and borrowing costs while still funding bill‑relief programs for low‑income households. Lawmakers representing parts of Bay Ridge and Staten Island have already come out against the plan.
What the proposal would mean for your bill
The Department of Environmental Protection is recommending a 6.0% in‑City rate bump for Fiscal Year 2027 that it says would push the average single‑family customer’s bill up by about $6 a month, or roughly $73 a year. According to the rate proposal filed with the New York City Water Board, the added revenue is meant to cover inflation‑driven operating costs, capital work and rental‑payment obligations. DEP also notes it scaled back the request from an earlier 7.0% forecast.
Hearings, locations and how to testify
Public hearings are scheduled in all five boroughs from June 1 through June 4. For Brooklyn, the in‑person hearing is locked in for Tuesday, June 2 at 6 p.m. at Saint Francis College, 179 Livingston Street. The Water Board will also take written comments by email and will cast its vote on the budget and final rates at the June 10 meeting. As reported by Brooklyn Eagle, New Yorkers who cannot make it in person can sign up in advance to speak remotely or send in written testimony to the board.
Affordability protections the plan keeps
DEP says the proposal keeps in place and builds on a suite of affordability programs that together reach nearly one‑third of the city’s roughly 3.38 million households. Those include the Homeowner Water Assistance Program, the Multi‑family Water Assistance Program and the Multi‑family Conservation Program. The agency is also seeking broader leak‑forgiveness rules, new low‑interest payment plans for eligible customers and targeted credits for affordable housing providers to cushion the impact of higher bills. These measures are laid out in the Water Board’s rate book and implementation appendix, according to the New York City Water Board.
Who’s pushing back and what happens next
Some local officials are already sounding the alarm. Assemblymember Michael Tannousis blasted the increase as “another financial burden on families struggling with the rising cost of living,” according to Brooklyn Eagle. The Water Board will collect public testimony at the June hearings, then hold its formal vote on June 10. That decision will determine whether the 6% in‑City rate officially kicks in on July 1.
