Capital Region Water at work (file photo)
The average Harrisburg utility customer will pay about 3.7% more for water and sewer service under a newly approved rate schedule for 2025.
Recently, the board of Capital Region Water (CRW) approved new budgets and rates for next year, which will increase the average customer bill by about $3.45 per month, from $92.31 to $95.76.
“While it’s difficult to raise rates, we are only talking about a $3.45 increase per month or roughly $40 (per year) to the average rate payer,” said board chair Marc Kurowski. “We don’t portray that as less, but we are getting a lot done for very nominal rate increases.”
Last year, CRW raised its rates by an average of 5.2% per month.
Effective Jan. 1, CRW’s charge for drinking water will increase from $10.65 to $10.97 per 1,000 gallons consumed, or about $1.20 per month for the average customer, according to the new rate schedule.
The wastewater charge will increase from $9.98 to $10.58 per 1,000 gallons consumed, or about $2.25 monthly for the average customer.
The stormwater fee will remain unchanged at $6.77 per month for the average residential customer.
The rate schedules all passed by a 3-1 vote, with board member Nate Davidson voting no.
During a budget presentation, Douglas Keith, CRW’s chief financial officer, said that the utility had to raise rates due to its own increasing costs. Health insurance, pensions and union-mandated salary increases all will raise expenses by over $1 million next year, he said.
Keith also stated that CRW plans to spend about $192 million over the next three years on infrastructure projects. CRW is currently under a consent decree to vastly reduce the flow of wastewater into area waterways and expects to spend some $327 million over the next decade improving its system.
It plans to pay for these capital improvements through a variety of possible funding sources, including grants, low-interest loans, bonds and customer fees.
“While an increase to the rates is not something that is particularly fun to have to talk about and engage with, it is necessary and it’s very proper based upon the situation we find ourselves in, with an opportunity to improve our system dramatically,” said board member Andrew Enders.
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