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Council debates penalty forgiveness and water billing overhaul as administration warns of revenue risk
Summary
Council members urged expanded penalty forgiveness for water bills and questioned enforcement such as shutoffs; Water Revenue defended penalties as a collection tool and described protections (TAP, moratoria), while also laying out a plan to replace the 20-year-old water billing system with a modern platform planned for FY29.
Council members debated whether to expand penalty forgiveness on water bills and pressed the Revenue Department on collection practices, program qualifications and a long-term billing-system replacement.
"What is Water Revenue's position on a bill that would eliminate late fees and penalties and interest on our water bills for our Philadelphia residents?" asked Council member Jeffrey J. Young. Young noted that testimony shows roughly $2.6 million in penalty forgiveness collected for TAP participants between July 2021 and December 2025 and asked…
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