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Delco Water outlines new tiered rate structure to discourage high outdoor use; goes into effect in May
Summary
Delco Water presented a tiered residential rate structure that takes effect May 1, 2025, introducing a $14 service charge, lowering the included volume, and adding higher marginal prices for heavy monthly use to discourage excessive outdoor watering.
Delco Water officials presented a new tiered residential rate structure to the Delaware County Board of Commissioners on April 14, saying the changes are designed to encourage conservation of outdoor water use and defer costly system expansions. The new rates take effect May 1, 2025, and will apply to bills issued after that date.
Delco Water General Manager and CEO Glenn Marsloff and Rick Dunlop, Delco Water’s economic development lead, told commissioners the change replaces a minimum charge that previously included 1,500 gallons. Under the new structure the company will charge a $14 service fee that includes no volume; the first block up to 4,000 gallons is $5 per 1,000 gallons, the next block up to 10,000 gallons is $8 per 1,000 gallons, and usage above 10,000 gallons will be billed at a higher rate of $11 per 1,000 gallons.
Marsloff said the median residential monthly usage is about 4,000 gallons, and the rate change will leave most households’ bills largely unchanged — he said the median bill will drop slightly — while sending a stronger price signal to customers who heavily irrigate lawns during summer months. He said the utility observed that about 11% of bills in 2024 exceeded 10,000 gallons in a billing cycle.
Delco Water described communications and implementation steps: mailed flyers and bill inserts, a FAQ on the utility website and a new customer portal launched with Oracle billing software that lets customers view usage history, set alerts and sign up for e‑billing. The county administrator, Tracy Davies, said the new portal allows customers to self-manage accounts in ways previously unavailable.
Officials said the rate is assessed on each billing cycle (each month’s usage stands alone) and that the change will be effective for bills issued after May 1; the read date determines which cycle uses the new structure. Delco Water staff said commercial/industrial accounts will be billed under a uniform commercial rate (about $7.60 per 1,000 gallons) and will not use the residential inclining block structure.
Why it matters
Delaware County is growing and Delco Water officials said the county’s infrastructure is sized for peak daily demand driven largely by seasonal outdoor irrigation. The utility said the tiered pricing is intended to reduce peak seasonal demand, stretch existing treatment and distribution assets and delay expensive capacity expansions.
Details on the record
- Effective date: May 1, 2025; applies to bills issued after that date and on each customer’s billing cycle. - Service charge: $14 (no included volume). - Residential blocks: 0–4,000 gallons at $5/1,000; 4,001–10,000 gallons at $8/1,000; above 10,000 gallons at $11/1,000. - Median residential usage stated: about 4,000 gallons per month. - Outreach: mailed flyers, website FAQ and new Oracle-based customer portal; additional bill inserts expected.
County commissioners asked technical and implementation questions, which Delco Water staff answered on the record. Commissioners and staff emphasized outreach to customers to reduce bill shocks and to explain how the new tiered blocks apply on a per-billing-cycle basis.
No vote was required; this was a presentation and informational briefing from the utility.
