Philly residents could get some relief from rising water bills under new legislation that aims to address affordability and incorrect meter readings that can put added costs on consumers.
The legislative package, introduced Thursday by Councilmember Jamie Gauthier (D-3rd), is called Just Water and it includes two bills and a resolution.
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The first bill would expand eligibility on Philadelphia Water Department’s tiered assistance program to households making up to 200% above the federal poverty level and add other structured payment plans to households making up to 300% of the FPL.
The second bill would require the city to help shoulder the cost when water meters fail to make correct readings for 12 months or more, which can result in thousands of dollars in unpaid bills.
The package also includes a resolution calling for a hearing to address tenants who lose access to water or aren’t eligible for assistance programs because the city does not allow renters to put water bills in their names.
Gauthier said a resident in her district received an $8,000 bill after she was upgraded to a new meter. The water department allegedly said her old meter hadn’t been giving proper readings for years, meaning that the previous residents hadn’t been paying for their usage. As a result, the PWD said she was responsible for paying the difference as the new homeowner. Another resident had his water shut off when his landlord stopped paying the bills, Gauthier said, and she feels that city should be held accountable for these issues.
“It is a choice that we have allowed these policy failures to continue for so long, and I hope that through Just Water we will make sure that every Philadelphian has access to the clean, affordable and reliable water they deserve,” Gauthier said.
PWD began making upgrades in 2019 and has changed more than 95% of the eligible meters in the city, which totaled about 500,000 installations. The utility company did not immediately return a request for comment on the legislation.
In addition to these issues, rates have continuously gone up. In September, the PWD implemented a nearly 10% raise on water rates from the previous year and said another 5.5% hike is expected in 2026. Next year, the average bill will be roughly 25% higher than it was in 2023, when there was a 7.9% hike from the previous year.
“This means even more working families pinching pennies just to pay the bills,” Gauthier said. “And for those already beyond their means, it means dry pipes. Every Philadelphian deserves water.”
The two bills will now be referred to a committee for approval before they come back to the City Council floor for a full vote. The resolution on a hearing was unanimously approved.