PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — For the seventh year in a row, Philadelphia water customers will see an increase in their bills. Beginning Monday, Sept. 1, Philadelphia water rates will increase by about 10%.
A typical bill will go from $81 to $89 a month under a settlement approved by the water rate board last month. The increase that starts next week is the first part of a two-year increase that will total roughly 18%.
It’s slightly less than the Water Department requested, but public advocate Robert Ballenger, of Community Legal Services, said the data showed the department needs more revenue.
“Unfortunately the demands on the Water Department are many and we need to make sure they’re met but at the same time try to balance that as best we can with the concerns of Philadelphia families struggling to get by,” he said.
This is the fourth consecutive water rate case where the board has granted an increase.
By the end of 2026, rates will have gone up 45% over 10 years. Ballenger said the Water Department has been too dependent on rate-payers to cover infrastructure costs and it agreed to seek more federal subsidies in the rate settlement. However, the Trump Administration’s budget would virtually eliminate that funding.