Some residents say a rate increase sought by Pittsburgh Water could leave them struggling to keep up with monthly bills.

“Honest to God I can’t afford this,” Emily Sawyer, a substitute teacher from Manchester, said during a public hearing held by the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission [PUC] Tuesday. “We just did this last year. It feels like we’re being asked to pay for deferred maintenance.” 

The authority seeks to increase rates by around 33% over two years, beginning in March 2026, to fund capital improvements. 

The PUC gathered customer testimony during hearings this week. In-person hearings were held Tuesday at the Jeron X. Grayson Community Center in the Hill District and the Hazelwood Healthy Active Living Community Center. Telephonic hearings are today, including a final airing at 6 p.m.  

The price hikes would yield $84.4 million for the utility to help fund its 2025-2029 Capital Improvement Plan, which includes lead pipe replacement and costly pump upgrades in Highland Park and at a pump station near Waterworks Mall. PUC is unlikely to approve the full rate increase, according to Pittsburgh Water Press Secretary Rebecca Zito. Historically, PUC has “never approved the full amount that we have requested,” Zito wrote in an email.

Pittsburgh Water services about 81,000 water customers, plus sewer-only and stormwater-only accounts bringing the authority’s customer count close to 116,000 in the city and some surrounding municipalities. 

The state Office of the Small Business Advocate and Office of Consumer Advocate [OCA] filed separate complaints against the proposal in June. The OCA said Pittsburgh Water’s proposed increase may improperly rely too heavily on fiscal projections that extend beyond next year. In addition, the grassroots coalition Pittsburgh United filed a petition to intervene against the rate increases, expressing concern for low- and medium-income customers. 

Water bills could rise by nearly $40

The utility submitted its proposal — which requires approval from PUC —  in early June. If passed in full, it would increase the monthly bill for a residential customer by an average of $22.75 starting March 8 2026, and then an additional $12.50 starting Jan. 1 2027. For low-income customers enrolled in the Bill Discount Program, projected rate changes are smaller: $5.40 and $5.50 respectively. 

The Capital Improvement Plan includes:

• Aging main line replacement (6-12 miles annually)
• Lead pipe replacements
• Sewer rehabilitation 
• Water Reliability Plan projects
• Updates to technology and stormwater infrastructure

The utility describes its infrastructure improvement plans as a “once in a generation” effort to restore aging water systems. The $84.4 million raised from the new rates would also support the continuation of rate reduction programs for low-income customers and help improve bond ratings, according to the water authority. Better bond ratings work like credit ratings, enabling borrowing at lower interest rates. 

In 2024, water rates increased by an average of 13%, which Pittsburgh Water said is a fraction of the three-year, $146.1 million target proposed to PUC.

Some customers, though, say any more increases will leave them shouldering a heavy burden in a time of economic uncertainty. 

“The only thing that doesn’t go up when inflation goes up seems to be people’s wages,” Sawyer said. “Even though this is a publicly run utility, there are folks at the top of the business who make a lot of money.” 

State Sen. Lindsey Williams, D-West View, also urged the utility to consider its impact on residents.  

“This is the fifth time Pittsburgh Water has asked for a rate increase since I was elected in 2018,” she said in a statement read by her communications director Wednesday.

Adolph Sims, of Stanton Heights, said he is concerned, but not necessarily opposed to the rate increases. Last year’s rate changes bumped the average bill for him and his wife from $103 to $144. “When does it stop?” he asked. 

If the new increases are granted, he estimates his bill will be close to $200. “On a fixed income, that’s significant.” Sims is a retired former industrial safety specialist at Heinz. 

If customers are unable to attend tonight’s hearing, but would still like to express their opinion, they may send a letter to PUC or file a formal complaint. Alternatively, OCA can be reached at 1-800-684-6560 or consumer@paoca.org. OCA will provide their written recommendations and expert testimony to argue why the proposed rates are too high on Sep. 5. 

PUC commissioners will issue a final decision by March, based on recommendations made by its administrative law judges. The state agency has jurisdiction over authorities, like Pittsburgh Water, which serve customers across municipal boundaries.

Correction (8/18): A Pittsburgh Water pump station slated for upgrades is within the city. An earlier version of this story indicated an incorrect municipality. A count of the agency’s wastewater and stormwater customers was incompletely characterized.

Hannah Frances Johansson is an editorial intern at Pittsburgh’s Public Source and can be reached at hannah@publicsource.org.

This story was fact-checked by Rich Lord.

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Residents fear monthly bills as Pittsburgh Water seeks 33% rate hike

by Hannah Frances Johansson, Pittsburgh's Public Source
August 13, 2025

<h1>Residents fear monthly bills as Pittsburgh Water seeks 33% rate hike</h1> <p class="byline">by Hannah Frances Johansson, Pittsburgh's Public Source <br />August 13, 2025</p> <p>Some residents say a rate increase sought by Pittsburgh Water could leave them struggling to keep up with monthly bills.</p> <p>“Honest to God I can’t afford this,” Emily Sawyer, a substitute teacher from Manchester, said during a public hearing held by the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission [PUC] Tuesday. “We just did this last year. It feels like we’re being asked to pay for deferred maintenance.”&nbsp;</p> <p>The authority seeks to increase rates by around 33% over two years, beginning in March 2026, to fund capital improvements.&nbsp;</p> <p>The PUC gathered customer testimony during hearings this week. In-person hearings were held Tuesday at the Jeron X. Grayson Community Center in the Hill District and the Hazelwood Healthy Active Living Community Center. Telephonic hearings are today, including a <a href="https://www.puc.pa.gov/press-release/2025/pittsburgh-consumers-reminded-about-upcoming-puc-hearings-on-proposed-water-wastewater-and-stormwater-rate-changes-08052025#:~:text=Telephonic%20hearing%20%232%20will%20begin%20at%206%20PM">final airing</a> at 6 p.m.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <p>The price hikes would yield $84.4 million for the utility to help fund its <a href="https://www.pgh2o.com/sites/default/files/2025-05/2025-2029%20CIP_FINAL_5_7_.25%20GFOA%20%28002%29.pdf">2025-2029 Capital Improvement Plan</a>, which includes lead pipe replacement and costly pump upgrades in Highland Park and at a pump station near Waterworks Mall. PUC is unlikely to approve the full rate increase, according to Pittsburgh Water Press Secretary Rebecca Zito. Historically, PUC has “never approved the full amount that we have requested,” Zito wrote in an email.</p> <p>Pittsburgh Water services about 81,000 water customers, plus sewer-only and stormwater-only accounts bringing the authority's customer count close to 116,000 in the city and some surrounding municipalities. </p> <figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img src="https://www.publicsource.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Highland_Park_Resevoir-4.jpg" alt="View through a chain-link fence of an area with trees in the background and a partly cloudy sky above." class="wp-image-1307017" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Planned improvements at the Highland Park reservoir are among the big ticket items in Pittsburgh Water's Capital Improvement Plan. (Photo by Quinn Glabicki/Pittsburgh's Public Source)</figcaption></figure> <p>The state Office of the Small Business Advocate and Office of Consumer Advocate [OCA] filed separate complaints against the proposal in June. The OCA said Pittsburgh Water’s proposed increase may improperly rely too heavily on fiscal projections that extend beyond next year. In addition, the grassroots coalition Pittsburgh United filed a petition to intervene against the rate increases, expressing concern for low- and medium-income customers.&nbsp;</p> <h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-water-bills-could-rise-by-nearly-40"><strong>Water bills could rise by nearly $40</strong></h2> <p>The utility <a href="https://www.puc.pa.gov/pcdocs/1881931.pdf">submitted its proposal</a> — which requires approval from PUC —&nbsp; in early June. If passed in full, it would <a href="https://www.puc.pa.gov/press-release/2025/pittsburgh-consumers-reminded-about-upcoming-puc-hearings-on-proposed-water-wastewater-and-stormwater-rate-changes-08052025#:~:text=Proposed%20Pittsburgh%20Water%20Rate%20Changes">increase the monthly bill</a> for a residential customer by an average of $22.75 starting March 8 2026, and then an additional $12.50 starting Jan. 1 2027. For low-income customers enrolled in the Bill Discount Program, projected rate changes are smaller: $5.40 and $5.50 respectively.&nbsp;</p> <figure class="wp-block-embed aligncenter is-type-wp-embed is-provider-flourish wp-block-embed-flourish"> <div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://public.flourish.studio/visualisation/24654099/ </div><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Average water bills could<strong> </strong>rise by nearly $40 within the next two years. </figcaption></figure> <p>The Capital Improvement Plan includes:</p> <ul class="wp-block-list"> <li>Aging main line replacement (6-12 miles annually)</li> <li>Lead pipe replacements</li> <li>Sewer rehabilitation&nbsp;</li> <li><a href="https://www.pgh2o.com/your-water/water-reliability-plan">Water Reliability Plan projects</a></li> <li>Updates to technology and stormwater infrastructure</li> </ul> <p>The utility describes its infrastructure improvement plans as a “once in a generation” effort to restore aging water systems. The $84.4 million raised from the new rates would also support the continuation of rate reduction programs for low-income customers and help improve bond ratings, according to the water authority. Better bond ratings work like credit ratings, enabling borrowing at lower interest rates.&nbsp;</p> <p>In 2024, water rates increased by an average of 13%, which Pittsburgh Water said is a fraction of the three-year, $146.1 million target proposed to PUC.</p> <p>Some customers, though, say any more increases will leave them shouldering a heavy burden in a time of economic uncertainty.&nbsp;</p> <p>“The only thing that doesn’t go up when inflation goes up seems to be people’s wages,” Sawyer said. “Even though this is a publicly run utility, there are folks at the top of the business who make a lot of money.”&nbsp;</p> <p>State Sen. Lindsey Williams, D-West View, also urged the utility to consider its impact on residents.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <p>“This is the fifth time Pittsburgh Water has asked for a rate increase since I was elected in 2018,” she said in a statement read by her communications director Wednesday.</p> <p>Adolph Sims, of Stanton Heights, said he is concerned, but not necessarily opposed to the rate increases. Last year’s rate changes bumped the average bill for him and his wife from $103 to $144. “When does it stop?” he asked.&nbsp;</p> <p>If the new increases are granted, he estimates his bill will be close to $200. “On a fixed income, that’s significant.” Sims is a retired former industrial safety specialist at Heinz.&nbsp;</p> <p>If customers are unable to attend tonight’s hearing, but would still like to express their opinion, they may send a letter to PUC or file a formal complaint. Alternatively, OCA can be reached at 1-800-684-6560 or <a href="mailto:consumer@paoca.org">consumer@paoca.org</a>. OCA will provide their written recommendations and expert testimony to argue why the proposed rates are too high on Sep. 5.&nbsp;</p> <p>PUC commissioners will issue a final decision by March, based on recommendations made by its administrative law judges. The state agency has jurisdiction over authorities, like Pittsburgh Water, which serve customers across municipal boundaries.</p> <p><em>Correction (8/18): A Pittsburgh Water pump station slated for upgrades is within the city. An earlier version of this story indicated an incorrect municipality. A count of the agency's wastewater and stormwater customers was incompletely characterized.</em></p> <p><em>Hannah Frances Johansson is an editorial intern at Pittsburgh’s Public Source and can be reached at </em><a href="mailto:hannah@publicsource.org"><em>hannah@publicsource.org</em></a><em>.</em></p> <p><em>This story was fact-checked by Rich Lord.</em></p> <p>This &lt;a target=&quot;_blank&quot; href=&quot;https://www.publicsource.org/pittsburgh-water-utility-proposes-rate-increase-2026/&quot;&gt;article&lt;/a&gt; first appeared on &lt;a target=&quot;_blank&quot; href=&quot;https://www.publicsource.org&quot;&gt;Pittsburgh&#039;s Public Source&lt;/a&gt; and is republished here under a &lt;a target=&quot;_blank&quot; href=&quot;https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/4.0/&quot;&gt;Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;img src=&quot;https://i0.wp.com/www.publicsource.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/cropped-ps_circle_favicon_blue.png?resize=150%2C150&amp;amp;ssl=1&quot; style=&quot;width:1em;height:1em;margin-left:10px;&quot;&gt;</p> &lt;img id=&quot;republication-tracker-tool-source&quot; src=&quot;https://www.publicsource.org/?republication-pixel=true&amp;post=1322214&amp;amp;ga4=G-CCLXQK5C14&quot; style=&quot;width:1px;height:1px;&quot;&gt;&lt;script&gt; PARSELY = { autotrack: false, onload: function() { PARSELY.beacon.trackPageView({ url: &quot;https://www.publicsource.org/pittsburgh-water-utility-proposes-rate-increase-2026/&quot;, urlref: window.location.href }); } } &lt;/script&gt; &lt;script id=&quot;parsely-cfg&quot; src=&quot;//cdn.parsely.com/keys/publicsource.org/p.js&quot;&gt;&lt;/script&gt;

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