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 storage, water resource recovery facilities, mixed-use and general facilities, innovation, and interjurisdictional programs.

Musara and Deputy Chief Engineer Kaville Stanbury Wilery highlighted program goals and requested FY 2027 budgets for selected items: - Water distribution: a 35‑mile water‑main rehabilitation goal in FY 2027 with a requested budget of $68,000,000; large‑diameter pipe/valve rehab goal of 5 miles at $58,000,000; a water main growth program budgeted at $15,800,000. - Wastewater collection: a sewer reconstruction goal of 63.5 miles at $114,000,000; trunk sewer rehab goal of 7.43 miles at $26,440,000; wastewater pump station and force‑main projects budgeted in aggregate at $26,600,000 (including Arcola and Anacostia 2 upgrades). - Water treatment and storage: Potomac Water Filtration Plant upgrades (consent‑decree program) with a FY 2027 request of $15,640,000, including process improvements to reduce solids returned to the Potomac River. - Innovation and investment priorities: programs for meter infrastructure upgrades, energy performance, lead reduction (FY 2027 request $34,030,000), and PFAS management; combined FY 2027 request for the four programs was $69,490,000. - Interjurisdictional projects: WSSC’s cost share for DC Water’s Blue Plains plant (which treats about 62 percent of WSSC wastewater) is 46 percent; the FY 2027 cost share request for Blue Plains/Mattawoman work is $99,780,000.

Master plans and project prioritization Deputy Chief Engineer Kaville Stanbury Wilery said WSSC has added a 20‑year systemwide wastewater master plan and corresponding water and facilities master plans to better identify needs and drive CIP project selection. Projects identified by those master plans will be scored against prioritization drivers such as regulatory compliance, health and safety, operational efficiency, reliability, organizational initiatives, and community impact; ranked projects will populate the CIP.

Public outreach and transparency Communications Director Chuck Brown summarized outreach: bilingual bill inserts from May through August, public notices in the Prince George’s Post and The Washington Post on Aug. 21, promotion across social platforms (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Bluesky), email notices to over 4,161 Constant Contact subscribers on Sept. 3 and a biweekly newsletter to over 10,300 subscribers on Aug. 22 and Sept. 5, and a news release sent Sept. 3. Musara said project detail was included in the preliminary proposed capital improvement book published in August and that an appendix lists projects planned for FY 2027 implementation.

Public comments and staff responses Two members of the public raised operational and billing concerns during the public‑comment portion: - Hyattsville pump‑station capacity and homeowner impacts: Resident Shay Winsett asked about a Hyattsville pump‑station upgrade listed at 66 MGD and how planned and forecasted growth (to 2045) and local development would affect peak flows and homeowners. A WSSC engineer explained that 66 MGD means 66,000,000 gallons per day and that the agency’s hydraulic staff assesses future demand—using county zoning and development projections—to size stations so treatment plants and pump stations have required capacity. Staff said they would follow up with a specific projected 2045 peak‑flow figure for the Winsett address. - Fees and bills: Resident Tina Pugh said her May 2024 maintenance fee increased by $30 and another $20 was added by May 2025 and asked why WSSC maintenance fees are high relative to other utilities. Musara and the director of customer service explained WSSC collects an account maintenance fee (to fund customer service and call center functions) and an infrastructure investment fee (to pay debt service on bonds used for capital investment). Musara said fees were increased following an external study to improve revenue stability, including a 9.5 percent increase this year, and offered to review Pugh’s account details after the hearing.

Customer assistance and programs Staff said WSSC no longer partners with HomeServe. WSSC staff described three customer programs including a pipe emergency repair program and a pipe inspection program and said staff would supply written materials and follow up with individual account information when requested.

Next steps and procedural notes Commissioner Chair Mark Smith said the commission will consider all public comments before transmitting the CIP to Prince George’s and Montgomery counties; transcripts and written correspondences received by the close of business on Sept. 16 will be included in the record and in the transmission packet. Capital Budget Section Manager Sunil Pandya reported no written comments had been received as of the hearing and restated the submission address and the hearing‑record deadline (noon, Sept. 16, 2025). No formal vote was taken at the hearing.

Ending WSSC staff concluded that they will incorporate public input as they finalize the transmittal to county governments. The hearing record will remain open through the stated deadline; staff provided contact information and a postal and email address for written comments.