The Mayor and Council on Nov. 15 approved new rates for city water and sewer service and a new rate structure that creates three customer classes based on the cost of water and sewer service.
Find the rates and rate structure at www.rockvillemd.gov/DocumentCenter/View/43148.
While the structure is changing, customers will not see a rate increase through the remainder of Fiscal Year 2022, which ends June 30. The January 2022 billing cycle will be the first to reflect the new rate structure.
The Mayor and Council directed staff to apply nearly $2.7 million in federal American Rescue Plan Act funds toward water infrastructure improvements. This will also help provide a weighted annual rate increase of just 2.1% for FY 2023 and FY 2024.
Under the new rates and structure, the city’s water fund should meet the city’s target of six months of operating reserves by the end of FY 2024 (on June 30, 2024). The sewer fund should meet the six-month operating reserves target by the end of FY 2023 (on June 30, 2023).
The new rates and structure follow a utility rate study that evaluated the cost of water and sewer service by property classification. The Mayor and Council held a public hearing on the proposed rates and new rate structure on Nov. 1. Find staff reports and video of the hearing and Mayor and Council discussion at www.rockvillemd.gov/AgendaCenter.
The Mayor and Council on Oct. 4 directed city staff to use $1.2 million of the $9.6 million the city received through ARPA toward aiding customers in paying past-due utility bills. The aid will apply to bills issued by the city from March 2020-September 2021.