Water and Wastewater Rates and Fees for Baltimore City and our Customers – An Overview

Water and Sewer Utilities are part of the Bureau of Water and Wastewater, one of the two bureaus in the City of Baltimore, Maryland’s Department of Public Works. In November 1978, the voters approved a Charter Amendment mandating that the water and wastewater utilities must be maintained as self-sustaining operations. Under this, it is the duty of the Director of Finance and the Director of Public Works to recommend to the Board of Estimates rates and charges to make each utility financially self-sustaining.

How is this money used?

It takes money to provide Baltimore’s award-winning drinking water. It also requires money to collect and purify wastewater so that it can be safely returned to the environment. In addition to normal operations and maintenance, Baltimore’s excellent, but aging, water and sewer systems need special attention. The new rates reflect those needs, including meeting unfunded mandates. Water line failures result in more than 1,000 water main breaks each year; collapses in large mains lead to major emergencies such as those in 2012 year on Light Street, Charles Street and Madison Street; collapses in sewer lines lead to overflows into nearby streams. Most mains are more than 65 years old. With the new level of funding, the Bureau will increase its water main replacement from five miles a year to 20 miles each year (with an annual goal of 40 miles), fully fund sewer rehabilitation and replacement, continue progress on a new $500 million water treatment plant, and comply with unfunded mandates, including an estimated $2 billion for the wastewater Consent Decree.

New investment in Customer Care is getting calls addressed in seconds instead of 20 minutes or more, with much better service. A new Asset Management Program allows for effective monitoring and maintenance of the system’s infrastructure. New automated meters will allow real-time monitoring by customers and more reliable billing. Estimated bills are now a memory.

Cities across the country are grappling with similar issues. The U.S. Conference of Mayors estimated that local governments spent a record $111 billion on water and wastewater operations, maintenance, and capital projects in 2010. And the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency says nearly $400 billion must be spent by 2030 to keep the country’s water systems operating properly.

The Department of Public Works continues to offer water bill assistance to qualifying Senior and Low Income residents who need help. In fact, the rates at which we offer assistance have also risen – for first time since the program was launched – in order that recipients do not have to pay more as a result of the new rates. Citizens may call 311 or 410-396-5398 for applications.