DPW SEEKS RESOURCES TO CONTINUE PROGRESS - Rate Adjustments of 15 percent would cover ongoing projects

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The Baltimore City Department of Public Works today requested a hearing of the Board of Estimates to approve an adjustment of 15 percent for water and sewer rates for City customers. The change is necessary to meet numerous unfunded State and Federal regulatory mandates; to more quickly replace aging infrastructure; to continue innovative management solutions; and to implement state-of-the-art meter and billing systems. 

The new rates are expected to raise the annual water and sewer bill for a typical customer, consuming about 170 gallons per day, by $94.50. That means quarterly bills would rise about $23. Water and sewer rates in the two subsequent years would rise by 11 percent annually.

 

Water and Wastewater Bureau Chief Rudolph S. Chow, P.E., said the adjustment reflects the mounting challenges posed by the City’s aging, inadequate infrastructure, and the need to comply with unfunded government mandates. Only by stabilizing the water and sewer system – almost all of which was put in place long before most Baltimore residents were born – can the City protect these critical, life-supporting functions from dangerous, untimely breakdowns, he said.

Mr. Chow emphasized the progress his Bureau has been making in management and customer care. It has developed an Asset Management Program to better monitor and maintain the system’s infrastructure. It has developed a first-of-its-kind Integrated Planning Framework, which would provide flexibility to invest ratepayer dollars into the most effective, efficient, essential projects and programs. It is moving toward state-of-the-art Advanced Meter Infrastructure and billing systems, which will improve accuracy and convenience for customers.

Public Works Director Alfred H. Foxx said this is the time to do even more. “We’ve taken care of the low-hanging fruit,” he said. But existing financial projections are not sufficient to continue the service improvements and infrastructure investments necessary to keep Baltimore’s water at its consistently high quality and reliability.

The requested new rates will provide dramatic improvements, said Foxx, in scheduled water main replacements, sewer line rehabilitation and replacement, increased customer service staffing, and even progress toward a new water treatment plant.

The 15 percent adjustments will still leave rates in the City significantly lower than in many major East Coast cities, and lower than in many surrounding jurisdictions (see charts above.) Even with the new rates in place next year, customers in the City will still see lower water and sewer costs than in Howard, Carroll and Baltimore counties, as well as suburban Washington. 

Moreover, Baltimore continues to offer water bill assistance programs for qualifying Senior and Low Income residents who need help. Eligible citizens may call 311 or (410) 396-5398 to obtain an application. 

The Department of Public Works plans to officially submit its request for a hearing on the new rates to the Board of Estimates on Wednesday, May 22. A hearing would be held June 26, and the new rates, if approved, would go into effect July 1.

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