Water rate goes up by 4 percent

BALTIMORE (Map, News) - Baltimore City and some surrounding counties will pay more to turn on the water tap this summer after the Board of Estimates approved a 4 percent increase for the nearly 1.8 million people served by the city’s three reservoirs — Loch Raven, Liberty and Prettyboy.

The rate increase takes effect today for customers in Anne Arundel, Carroll, Howard and Baltimore counties. Still, the increase is lower than last year’s 9 percent increase.

The increase represents the minimum rate increase for area residents, according to Water Bureau spokesman Kurt Kocher.

“Everybody gets an increase passed along to them, but some jurisdictions may add on more,” he said. “Baltimore County will be 7 percent.”

The increase — which will add $4 per quarter to the average city water bill — was blamed on nearly $1 billion of unfunded mandates imposed by the federal government as part of a 2002 consent decree. The mandates included adding domes to the city’s finished water facilities, part of tighter security requirements imposed after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.

But City Comptroller Joan Pratt was quick to point out that the increase was far less than previous years.

“I am pleased that the increase is less than the 9 percent we’ve had for the last four years,” she said. ‘But I would like for the city to continue to audit the Water Bureau to find more savings.”

City officials warned that unfunded federal mandates could push rate increases higher.

In 2007, city officials proposed a three-year, 9 percent increase in water rates, but the proposal met with stiff resistance from city leaders. That resulted in a one-time 9 percent increase last year. An audit commissioned by Pratt found savings that led to this year’s lower rate increase.

To lessen the blow for the city’s senior citizens, Mayor Sheila Dixon touted 30 percent discounts for residents 65 and older who earn less than $25,000 per year.

“We need to get the word out that there is help available for seniors,” Dixon said.

The board also approved an extra $25 for hardship grants to low-income residents. The maximum is now $125 per year.

sjanis@baltimoreexaminer.com

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