WSSC Water unveils $4.83 billion six-year CIP; commissioners take public comments on pump-station capacity and rising fees

WSSC Water officials on the record presented a proposed six-year capital improvements program (CIP) covering fiscal years 2027–2032 that requests $4,830,000,000 in projects and a FY 2027 capital budget of $759,300,000, then opened the meeting for public comment and questions.

The proposal, presented during a public hearing in Prince George's County, identified $1,600,000,000 (about 33 percent) of the six-year total as mandated projects tied to regulatory requirements and consent decrees; for FY 2027, mandated projects total $288,100,000 (36 percent of the FY 2027 budget). Chief Financial Officer Annette S. Musara told the commission that bonds remain the primary funding source, state grants rose to $133,100,000, and PAYGO is budgeted at $97,880,000 for FY 2027.

Why it matters: the CIP directs which water, sewer and facilities projects WSSC will fund and prioritize across Prince George’s and Montgomery counties; it also sets the near‑term capital program that underpins future rates and bond issuances. Commissioner Chair Mark Smith said the commission will consider public comments before transmitting the CIP to both county governments and noted that the CIP must be transmitted by Oct. 1 in accordance with state law. The public hearing record will remain open until noon on Sept. 16, 2025.

Key components and priorities Annette Musara, WSSC's chief financial officer, described four strategic pillars for what she called “sustained transformative change”: workforce and workplace; infrastructure; innovation and technology; and service. The presentation grouped planned work into eight CIP categories, with a year‑by‑year allocation across water distribution, wastewater collection, water treatment and…