Average residential bill for Veolia going up 4%

Water rates for customers of Veolia are going up on Monday, April 1.

The Delaware Public Service Commission has approved a net increase of 12.67% averaged across residential, commercial and industrial customers, the company announced.

“The average residential bill will be increased by approximately 4.02% – the equivalent of 5 cents per day or $1.59 per month,” it said.

That’s much less the company proposed a year ago.

In April 2023, Veolia filed a proposal that called for the average residential water bill in New Castle County to go up $4.51 per month. The company, which serves more than 100,000 Delawareans, also then proposed a surcharge of $5 per month.

Water rates are complicated things. Veolia’s 2023 application takes 15 pages to detail variations.

It all starts with a fixed customer charge, of at least $14.25 a month in 2023 and going up from there, depending on the size of the pipe entering the building.

Then there are the rates for each 1,000 gallons used, running in 2023 at least $4.45 for public authorities and at least $5.18 for residences.

There’s also a fire protection charge.

Rates for Wilmington, Veolia customers in Pa.

Wilmington Mayor Michael S. Purzycki earlier in March proposed a 9% increase in water/sewer rates and 6% increase in stormwater rates.

“This rate increase will cost an average household about $5.98 more a month, assuming the use of 4,000 gallons of water,” DelawareOnline reported.

A Veolia proposal to raise rates in Pennsylvania, effective near the end of April, was put on hold by the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission.

The Pennsylvania plan would increase the company’s total annual operating revenues for water services by approximately $15.5 million (26.4%) and increase total annual operating revenues for wastewater services by approximately $569,000 (34.8%).

In Veolia’s Pennsylvania proposal, the average monthly bill for a residential water customer using 3,500 gallons of water per month would increase from $49.64 to $60.79 (22%).

For Veolia wastewater customers, the average monthly bill for a residential customer would increase from a flat rate of $56.20 to $77.00 (37%).

Veolia serves 69,800 water customers along with 1,600 wastewater customers in 11 counties across Pennsylvania.