PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — Philadelphia City Council will consider a package of legislation to help water department customers manage bills.
It includes two bills and a resolution introduced on Thursday that Sponsor Jamie Gauthier collectively called ‘Just Water.’
“Every Philadelphian deserves water,” she said.
One bill would expand eligibility for the Water Department’s tiered assistance program, making it available to households at three times the federal poverty level. Another would make the city responsible for broken water meters that can result in catastrophically high water bills over time.
Gauthier cited the experience of a constituent named Alexandra, who got hit with an $8,000 water bill when she moved to a new home and upgraded her meter.
“PWD said the old meter in Alexandra’s home had not been transmitting information for eight years,” she said.
Gauthier said that’s an infrastructure problem, and the Water Department should be responsible.
She also called for hearings on allowing renters to get water service in their own name. Currently, only property owners get the bill, and tenants can lose service if they don’t pay.
“They need to have the ability to have their water in their names and to have water service,” she said.
Gauthier said she’s working with the Water Department, but doesn’t yet have an estimate on what her legislation would end up costing.