East Deer residents facing higher water bills after Tarentum increases bulk cost

East Deer residents will pay more for water after Tarentum increased what it charges the township for bulk water, but exactly how much more is not yet known.

East Deer buys water from Tarentum, then distributes it to its customers.

East Deer Commissioner Tony Taliani said the township will not be able to absorb the 12% increase Tarentum’s council recently approved and will have to pass the increased cost on to residents.

“We cannot afford to eat that,” Taliani said Monday. “That’s a pretty hefty raise for a wholesale customer.”

East Deer residents pay $10 per month for the first 1,500 gallons of water used. There is a graduated scale for usage over that amount.

Taliani could not say how much rates may rise. Commissioners will act by early in January, if not by the end of the year, he said.

“We’re in the process of evaluating what retail customers are paying elsewhere,” he said.

Tarentum had not changed what it charges East Deer for water since 2012, borough Manager Michael Nestico said. The new rate takes effect Jan. 1.

Nestico said the rate was increased for several reasons, including how long it had been since the last increase.

“Rate increases should be gradual, yet the borough has not addressed this particular water rate for quite some time, so we were forced to make a larger increase than we would have preferred,” he said. “Yet, we have continued to incur additional costs for the production of quality drinking water. In recent years, our electric fund has supplemented our water fund. We want to work toward independent financial stability in the water department, and we believe this rate increase is one component of that goal.”

East Deer consumes about 30 million gallons of water per quarter, Nestico said. East Deer’s quarterly bill will increase from about $88,300 to $99,100, or about $10,800 more.