This artifact is a presentation created by the Philadelphia Water Department regarding their proposed rate increase. Without increased rates, according to PWD, they will have insufficient revenues to meet operating and legal requirements in FY2023. The Department withdrew a rate request in 2020 and depleted reserves to maintain operations during COVID-19, however they state that rate increases are now critical to ensure that PWD can meet operating requirements and maintain aging infrastructure.
The presentation also details the rate setting process, which involves an independent city rate board whose responsibility it is to set and regulate awater, sewer and stormwater rates in accordance with standards set by City Council. The Rate Board determines rates and charges when the Water Department requests changes. Within 120 days of PWD’s rate request, the Rate Board must render a detailed, written decision to approve, modify or reject the proposed rate change, based on a hearing record including financial, accounting and engineering data, public testimony and expert testimony. The Rate Board consists of five members appointed by the Mayor and approved by City Council.
According to a table produced by PWD that shows projected customer bill impacts if the proposed rate change is approved, senior citizens, an population that is typically considered "energy vulnerable", will see the highest rate increase in FY23, with their rates increasing by 11.7%.
The end of the presentation shows how Philadelphia's rates compare to other big cities across the United States, arguing that even with the proposed rate increases the city compares favorably, although Philadelphia's rates will be higher than other big cities in the Northeastern corridor such as New York City and Boston.
Philadelphia Water Department, "Philadelphia Water Department 2021 Proposed Rate Increase", contributed by Morgan Sarao and Alison Kenner, The Energy Rights Project, Platform for Experimental Collaborative Ethnography, last modified 12 March 2021, accessed 26 April 2024. https://energyrights.info/content/philadelphia-water-department-2021-proposed-rate-increase
Critical Commentary
This artifact is a presentation created by the Philadelphia Water Department regarding their proposed rate increase. Without increased rates, according to PWD, they will have insufficient revenues to meet operating and legal requirements in FY2023. The Department withdrew a rate request in 2020 and depleted reserves to maintain operations during COVID-19, however they state that rate increases are now critical to ensure that PWD can meet operating requirements and maintain aging infrastructure.
The presentation also details the rate setting process, which involves an independent city rate board whose responsibility it is to set and regulate awater, sewer and stormwater rates in accordance with standards set by City Council. The Rate Board determines rates and charges when the Water Department requests changes. Within 120 days of PWD’s rate request, the Rate Board must render a detailed, written decision to approve, modify or reject the proposed rate change, based on a hearing record including financial, accounting and engineering data, public testimony and expert testimony. The Rate Board consists of five members appointed by the Mayor and approved by City Council.
According to a table produced by PWD that shows projected customer bill impacts if the proposed rate change is approved, senior citizens, an population that is typically considered "energy vulnerable", will see the highest rate increase in FY23, with their rates increasing by 11.7%.
The end of the presentation shows how Philadelphia's rates compare to other big cities across the United States, arguing that even with the proposed rate increases the city compares favorably, although Philadelphia's rates will be higher than other big cities in the Northeastern corridor such as New York City and Boston.