PWSA to hike residential rates by nearly $14 per month

The Pittsburgh Water and Sewer Authority will soon raise average residential rates by nearly $14 per month.

A typical residential bill is expected to jump next month to $100.27 from about $86.43 for 3,000 gallons of water, according to the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission. That’s a 16% increase.

The hike is smaller than the utility’s original request, which would’ve increased monthly residential bills by close to 20% this year, with additional rate increases in 2025 and 2026.

Under the agreement with the commission, the utility cannot file another rate increase request before Jan. 2025, for implementation in the following year.

“The new rates approved by the Commission balance PWSA’s immediate need to protect public health by investing in our aging water infrastructure, and the need to provide assistance for customers with affordability concerns,” utility CEO Will Pickering said in a statement.

About 100,000 residential, commercial and industrial customers in and around Pittsburgh are affected. It was not immediately clear what the increases would be for commercial and industrial customers.

Also included in the deal are expansions to the authority’s customer assistance programs.

Now, people making up to 200% of the federal poverty level will qualify for the Bill Discount Program, which previously was limited to people making no more than 150% of the federal poverty level. The current 50% discount for very low-income customers will increase to 60%, according to the utility.

Customers enrolled in the Arrearage Forgiveness Program will receive a monthly credit of $40, up from $30, provided customers make payments on time.

The utility has said the rate increase was needed to fund mandated infrastructure improvements, bring water and sewer infrastructure up to environmental requirements and cover increased operating costs due to inflation.