WASHINGTON — Beginning July 1, monthly water bills will go up for customers who live in Montgomery and Prince George’s counties.
The cost of water will increase $4.20 cents a month, which means $12 and some change per quarterly bill for Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission customers.
“What we’re doing is increasing fees that haven’t been increased in a long, long time because those fees pay for the infrastructure — for what it costs to get the water to your house,” says Jim Neustadt, a spokesman for WSSC.
The water rate will go up 1 percent.
“On the rate side, how much water people use is going up by 1 percent. Last year was 5 1/2 percent,” he says.
Also starting in July, the utility launches a new program to help customers who qualify for utility financial breaks.
“WSSC is not going into the business of assessing peoples’ income levels,” Neustadt says. “We’re working with the Office of Home Energy Programs in both counties.”
WSSC customers who are part of the Maryland energy assistance program will not have to pay the fees named above including other state-issued fees.
It’s the utility’s Customer Assistance Program provides financial assistance to residential customers with funds from rate payers. The existing water fund, which is funded by donations from employees and customers who generously round up their bill balance to the next dollar, is funded differently.
The Maryland legislature approved WSSC’s new assistance program during its last session.
