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Board approves Baltimore County water rate increase of 4.9% for FY26
Summary
The Board of Estimates approved the Department of Public Works' request to accept Baltimore County's FY2026 water rate adjustment of 4.9%, citing a long-standing state law that requires the city to furnish water to the county at cost.
The Board of Estimates on June 4 approved the Department of Public Works' process for Baltimore County to increase its water rate by 4.9% for fiscal year 2026, a level the county has pursued for several recent years.
Interim deputy director Matt Garbark told the board the county’s requested increase equals the same general level used in FY24 and FY25 and that the city bills county customers for water only (not sewer or stormwater). Garbark noted a state legal requirement: "The mayor and city council of Baltimore shall furnish water to the Metropolitan District of Baltimore County at cost and entirely without profit or loss," explaining the city must charge the county according to a cost‑allocation model rather than the city residential rate.
Why it matters: because the legal arrangement dates to 1945, county customers historically paid different water charges than city customers. Garbark said county infrastructure is generally newer and that capital projects are often shared by formula: "For the headworks, for instance...about 50% benefit to the county, so they paid 50% of that project." The board approved the DPW request for the FY26 period, July 1, 2025, to June 30, 2026.
Board members asked about collection practices and the practical effect of the legal requirement; Garbark said the cost‑allocation model is the basis for charges and that the DPW and county analysts review cost items together. The item was approved by the board.
