DEP Proposes Water Rate Increase for 2022

Last month, the NYC Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) proposed a water rate increase for all rate payers citywide. DEP proposed a 2.76 percent increase to the water rate in 2022 to the city’s Water Board. Last year, with the pandemic as a backdrop, the DEP recommended freezing rates for FY 2021, and the Water Board ultimately approved the rate freeze. Should the 2.76 percent water increase be adopted, a typical multifamily unit, with metered billing, could see an increase of around $1.65 per month for water and sewer bills.

The DEP also proposed new expected billing policies for 2022, including:

• An $8 million expansion to the Home Water Assistance Program to provide a bill credit of $145 to up to 96,000 low-income households;
• A $2 million expansion to the Multifamily Water Assistance Program to provide a $250 bill credit per affordable residential units located in eligible multifamily properties to up to 48,000 units;
• Freezing the minimum charge, meaning that customers who use less than 902 gallons per day won’t be billed the minimum water charge of $1.27 per day; and
• Mayor de Blasio is not requesting a rental payment from the water system for Fiscal Year 2022.

The proposed rate is subject to review and approval by the Water Board, which will meet later in June to consider and adopt rates. New rates would be effective on July 1, 2021.