Water, sewer rates to remain steady as part of new MAWC budget

Water and sewer rates will remain steady as part of a new budget approved by Municipal Authority of Westmoreland County board members.

The $110.4 million spending plan for the 2023-24 fiscal year includes $6 million in expense increases that authority officials blame on rising costs to operate the water and sewer systems.

“Significant increases in the cost of electrical power, chemicals, fuel and supplies have caused costs to balloon significantly,” according to a statement from the authority.

“Increased electrical power and chemical costs will raise the cost of treating and pumping water to storage tanks nearly 40%. The department that pumps water between water towers and maintains and operates treatment tanks has an increase in expenses of 25%. Wastewater treatment expenses increased more than 13%.”

The new budget carries a $2.7 million revenue shortfall that will be covered through the authority’s surplus account.

Water rates remain unchanged since 2017, when the authority instituted the last of three consecutive years of rate hikes to pay for system upgrades.

The authority sells water to nearly 130,000 customers in Westmoreland, Allegheny, Armstrong, Fayette and Indiana counties. It also has more than 29,000 sewer customers.