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South Central York residents urge council to challenge Pennsylvania American Water rate hikes
Summary
Residents told council proposed wastewater rate increases by Pennsylvania American Water (PAW) are unaffordable and urged the city to press the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission for hearings and relief.
At the Oct. 7 meeting public‑comment period, multiple residents from South Central York urged the City Council to intervene on recent wastewater rate increases imposed by Pennsylvania American Water (PAW).
Dominic Pepper, speaking for South Central neighborhoods, described steep changes under a May 27 rate schedule for rate zone 1B that he said nearly doubled typical household wastewater bills for a 2,500‑gallon monthly usage. Pepper said the company’s new tariff changed per‑100‑gallon charges and raised fixed service and usage fees, and he recounted sample monthly bill increases from about $22.83 under the old tariff to $44.77 under the new one for 2,500 gallons.
Pepper described the change as a 177% increase for some usage levels and said PAW attributes the hikes to infrastructure needs following its 2022 acquisition of the local York water system. He told council residents did not cause prior system mismanagement and should not be asked to fully shoulder those costs. He also said PAW bills wastewater as a function of water use (including outdoor watering), which he considers unfair.
Pepper said he filed an informal complaint with the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission (PUC) and was told the PUC’s informal process has limited jurisdiction; he said formal PUC complaints can take months and require legal assistance. He cited precedent from Scranton, Dunmore and AquaPA cases where consumer advocacy or local appeals prompted reductions or investigations, and he urged council to draft a resolution calling on the PUC to review PAW’s rate changes, hold hearings in York and require PAW to justify its billing practices.
The public comment did not include a formal staff report or a council motion on the subject during the meeting; Pepper asked the council to lead with a resolution to the PUC rather than expecting residents to pursue formal regulatory complaints on their own.
Ending: Council did not take formal action on the record during the meeting. Pepper asked the council to pursue a resolution and to request PUC hearings and oversight on billing practices affecting York’s South Central neighborhoods.
