On January 18, 2024, the Pittsburgh Water and Sewer Authority (PWSA) announced that changes to water, wastewater conveyance rates and the stormwater fee were approved by the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission (PUC) during their January 18th public meeting. The new rates will go into effect in February 2024. This is the final step in the ratemaking process that started with PWSA’s rate request submitted on May 9, 2023.  

PWSA filed a rate request to support ongoing infrastructure improvements, provide needed resources to meet more stringent environmental and regulatory requirements, and address increasing energy and chemical costs related to inflation. These factors are substantially driving the need for the rate filing and if approved, will ensure ongoing investment to modernize our water systems and provide essential water, sewer, and stormwater services for current and future generations of customers.

As a publicly owned and managed water, sewer, and stormwater authority, every dollar we receive from ratepayers is reinvested back into our infrastructure and we never generate a profit or pay investors. The improvements we are making today will provide current and future generations of customers with safe, high-quality water services for years to come.  

PWSA remains steadfast in its mission, continuously striving to protect public health by upholding the highest standards of water quality, safety, and service excellence for the vibrant communities we serve. 

Expanded Customer Assistance Programs

Our Customer Assistance Programs, first established in 2018, are a permanent part of our rate structure and benefit customers struggling to pay their water bill. PWSA is a national leader for providing customers with multiple avenues for assistance and today’s approval continues to demonstrate our leadership. 

A benefit brought forward in our original May 9th proposal increases income eligibility for the Bill Discount Program from 150% of the federal poverty level to 200% - making this essential program available to more customers. The current 50% volumetric discount for very low-income customers will increase to 60% and the monthly credit for those enrolled in the Arrearage Forgiveness Program will increase from $30 to $40 provided customers make on time payments.  

Customers will also benefit from an expansion of our Hardship Grant Program. It now includes two separate annual grants – one to be distributed to eligible drinking water customers and another to eligible wastewater (sewer) customers. Customers receiving both drinking water and wastewater services from PWSA can benefit from both grants simultaneously. The maximum grant will increase from $300 to $450 and applied as a credit to your PWSA bill.   

For additional information about our Customer Assistance Programs, please visit www.pgh2o.com/CAP.  

Stormwater Incentives, Credits, and Ongoing Community Outreach

Customers can also receive a one-time $40 rain barrel credit. Installing a rain barrel on your property is a simple solution to capture and repurpose the water to maintain your lawn or garden. There will also be expanded community outreach to further educate customers on the need to manage stormwater, collaboration with Pittsburgh Public Schools to identify stormwater mitigation efforts, and broader education about the steps Pittsburgh residents and property owners can take to receive a stormwater credit to reduce their stormwater fee. For additional information about the Stormwater Credit program, please visit www.pgh2o.com/stormwater-credit.  

PENNVEST Recovery Charge

In 2025, PWSA will implement a new charge that will appear on customer bills to pay low-interest PENNVEST loans used to finance the construction of needed infrastructure improvements. The recovery charge will begin in 2025 and will only include loans closed on or after 2025. Clearly identifying this expense improves transparency about how we are using ratepayer dollars to fund infrastructure projects, like our Water Reliability Plan.  

Customer Impacts

Residential Customers

The new rates, including the stormwater fee, will generate an additional $36,000,000 in revenue this year. This amount is $10.8 million less than PWSA’s original request for 2024 and is 37% of what PWSA originally requested in the three-year proposal initially brought forward for 2024 through 2026.  

With the approval of the new rates, the monthly PWSA bill for a typical residential customer using 3,000 gallons of water per month and charged the base rate for stormwater, would increase by $13.84. For the typical residential customer enrolled in the Bill Discount program, their monthly bill would increase by $5.80. Customers can also expect the Distribution System Improvement Charge or DSIC to remain at 5%.  

PWSA’s rate increase is carefully allocated to increase revenue where it is needed most. The typical residential customer using 3,000 gallons of water per month currently pays $86.43 per month under the existing rates. When the new rates go into effect in February, this is expected to increase to $100.27 in 2024 or by $13.84 per month.  

Approved Rates: Residential Customers with DSIC

Minimum charges are based on a customer's meter size. The typical residential customer has a 5/8 inch meter. 

Residential Customers Enrolled in Bill Discount Program

With any rate increase, we must consider the affordability of rates and provide our most vulnerable customers with the assistance they need. 

The typical residential customer enrolled in our low-income customer assistance Bill Discount Program using 3,000 gallons of water per month currently pays $44.15 per month under the existing rates. With the approval of the new rates, this will change to $49.95 in 2024 or by $5.80 per month.  

Approved Rates: Residential Customers Enrolled in Bill Discount Program

Minimum charges are based on a customer's meter size. The typical residential customer has a 5/8 inch meter. 

Additional Information

Public Notice 

• August 13, 2023: Public Input Hearings English and Spanish
• July 16, 2023: Public Input Hearings English and Spanish
• May 9, 2023: Customer Notice of Proposed Rate Changes

Press Releases

• January 18, 2024: PUC Approves New Water, Wastewater, and Stormwater Rates for PWSA Customers
• October 31, 2023: PWSA Announces Agreement on Rate Proposal
• August 9, 2023: PUC to Hold Additional Public Input Hearings
• July 18, 2023: PWSA Customers Invited to Participate in PA Public Utility Commission Public Input Hearings
• May 9, 2023: PWSA Files Rate Request with PA Public Utility Commission