Harrisburg approves 3% water-and-sewer volume increase for 2025 after debate on long-term needs

The Harrisburg City Council approved Resolution 2024-20 on Monday to raise the volume charge for water and sewer customers by 3% in 2025, a proposal staff said would amount to about $1.28 per month for a typical 5,000-gallon customer.

John Brown of the engineering department told council the 3% change is intended as a modest adjustment to help the city keep pace with costs and that it affects the volume charge rather than surcharges already on customers' bills. "What you'll see here ... is a 3% for a typical 5,000 gallon customer, will be about a dollar 28 increase per month," Brown said during the presentation.

Some council members argued for a one-year pause on increases to ease the burden on residents; others emphasized long-term capital needs such as a third water tower. One council member recalled the 2023 surcharge and a 2022 rate increase and said a multi-year plan had recommended annual adjustments to keep pace with infrastructure requirements. Engineering staff said a water study is underway and that the city will need multiple million gallons per day of additional capacity as development continues.

Council voted to approve the resolution following the discussion. Staff said they will continue to brief the council on long-term projects, including the timing and financing of the next water tower, and could consider targeted surcharges for specific capital projects rather than a uniform rate increase in future years.

Next steps: City staff will return with additional detail from the ongoing water study and options for financing major capital projects.