Del City Municipal Services Authority approves package of water, sewer and sanitation rate increases

The Del City Municipal Services Authority on Sept. 23 approved a package of rate and surcharge changes for the city’s water, sewer and sanitation systems, including a higher capital improvement surcharge for water and sewer, an increase in the residential sanitation base charge and a new $3-per-month bulk-waste fee.

Authority trustees said the package is intended to fund aging infrastructure and to stabilize funding by tying certain annual adjustments to the federal inflation index.

The authority voted unanimously to adopt the changes after a public discussion that included staff presentations, technical details from the line maintenance supervisor and comments from multiple residents.

City staff proposed raising the water capital-improvement surcharge from the current $0.75 to $1.23 per 1,000 gallons, with future annual adjustments equal to the U.S. Department of Commerce inflation measure. “We are proposing that this go to a dollar 23 per thousand gallons of water consumed,” staff member Britney said during the presentation. Staff said the water capital funds are restricted to water system capital work such as treatment-plant and distribution-line repairs.

Staff gave example bills to illustrate the effect on a typical household. Using the authority’s modeling, a household with a 3,000-gallon monthly water use would see a bill that is now about $65.70 rise to an estimated $82.79 after the first year of increases and to about $89.16 after the second year — about a $23 monthly difference over two years, or roughly a 35% increase in the total monthly bill, staff said. Joshua Schultz, a resident, summarized the math during public comment: “Overall, in the next two years … your bill would only increase by 35%.”

Sewer charges were adjusted separately. Trustees adopted a new approach that ties the residential sewer charge to a percentage of the water charge: staff recommended, and the trustees approved, setting sewer charges at 80% of the water cost (based on the council’s winter-average consumption methodology). Staff said the sewer change results in a single sewer-rate increase effective Jan. 1, 2026; one staff example showed a current sewer total charge of $16.92 rising to $21.90 under the new schedule.

Line-maintenance supervisor Chris Stewart described the system’s physical needs during public comment: “Most of our water lines in this city are ductile iron, and they’re all over 50 years old. We still have concrete water mains in this city that are well over 80 years old.” Stewart cited ground-movement damage, root intrusion and parts-cost increases as drivers of higher capital needs.

On sanitation, trustees approved raising the residential base sanitation fee from $12.75 to $15.75 per month and increasing the sanitation capital-improvement surcharge from $1.50 to $2.10 per month. The authority also adopted a monthly bulk-waste pickup charge of $3 per residential account (staff corrected a draft $3.15 figure down to $3 in the motion). The authority eliminated the separate special-pickup fee now that monthly bulk pickups are being provided and increased short-term rental rates for large roll-off containers (20-yard: $300 per five-day rental, 30-yard: $400 per five-day rental in the resolution language).

Trustees and staff emphasized the changes are intended to stabilize long-term funding and avoid the recurring problem of deferring needed repairs. “We can’t go bankrupt,” a trustee said in response to multiple public commenters who described fixed incomes and hardship concerns. Staff also said the city will continue to offer payment arrangements and administrative flexibility for customers who have otherwise reliable payment histories.

Trustees, staff and several residents discussed equity and timing. Residents urged a slower pace and asked about exemptions or assistance for fixed-income households; staff pointed to an existing provision that allows qualified low-income residents to apply for relief annually (the ordinance requires verification). Trustees committed to returning to the board within the next 30–60 days to review commercial sanitation and other outstanding items not finalized in the package.

Votes at a glance - DCMSA Resolution 9252025A (water capital-improvement surcharge: raise to $1.23/1,000 gallons; inflation indexing; effective 01/01/2026): approved, trustees unanimous. - DCMSA Resolution 9252025B (water rate adjustment schedule, with phased increases and inflation indexing): approved, trustees unanimous. - DCMSA Resolution 092525C (sewer increases without further action; indexing; effective 01/01/2026): approved, trustees unanimous. - DCMSA Resolution 092525D (sewer capital-improvement surcharge: raise to $1.23/1,000 gallons; indexing; effective 01/01/2026): approved, trustees unanimous. - DCMSA Resolution 9252025E (sewer rate adjustment, establishes new rates effective 01/01/2026): approved, trustees unanimous. - DCMSA Resolution 09252025F (bulk waste: one pickup per month; $3 service charge per residential account): approved, trustees unanimous (motion corrected from $3.15 to $3). - DCMSA Resolution 09252025G (amendments to garbage-billing article: residential base, capital surcharge, removal of special pickup fee and related language; start date 01/01/2026; removal of obsolete section): approved, trustees unanimous.

What happens next The resolutions take effect as noted in the motions (most items beginning Jan. 1, 2026). Staff said they will implement billing-system changes, continue targeted public outreach, maintain flexible payment arrangements for customers with demonstrated need and return to trustees to address commercial sanitation rates and remaining technical edits.

The authority’s unanimous votes followed extensive public comment from residents and staff testimony about aging pipes, equipment and rising parts and labor costs. Trustees said indexing to the federal inflation measure is intended to prevent the city from falling behind again and to smooth future revenue needs.

Ending note Staff and trustees acknowledged the immediate impact on households and urged customers who expect trouble paying to contact city hall to arrange payment plans. The authority also committed to follow-up briefings for council members and additional outreach to affected neighborhoods.