June 09, 2016
Philadelphia residents will see a hike in their monthly water bill starting this summer.
The Water, Sewer and Stormwater Rate Board announced Wednesday two increases to go into effect in 2016 and 2017.
Starting July 1, a typical customer's bill of $67.43 will jump to $70.87, for a little more than a 5 percent increase. It will be the first increase for customers since 2014.
On July 1, 2017, another increase of about 4.5 percent will go into effect, bringing the typical customer's bill to $74.05.
Overall, this means about a 10 percent jump for all customers over the next two years.
The hike actually represents a decrease to the Water Department's initial request for $105 million in new funds.
The board — a recently formed, independent authority created to bring balance to rate changes — has instead approved a total of $89 million in new revenue.
The board also announced it's taking steps to implement the Income-based Water Rate Assistance Program (IWRAP), an ordinance approved by City Council last year that allows low-income residents to pay reduced rates based on their income.
Applications for the program will be accepted starting spring 2017.
