Water rates may rise for Pennsylvania American Water customers in McKeesport

Pennsylvania American Water has asked the PUC to approve a rate increase.

Water bills may be increasing in areas of the Mon Valley.

Pennsylvania American Water is proposing an approximate $14-a-month increase for water service and a $20-a-month increase for McKeesport wastewater system customers.

“These investments directly benefit the communities we proudly serve and provide our customers with even more reliable service and improved water quality — from treatment to the Tap,” Pennsylvania American Water President Justin Ladner said in a release issued Friday. “It all underscores every employee’s commitment to the health and safety of our customers and the communities we serve.”

Customers served by sanitary wastewater systems would see an increase of approximately $10 per month. Those with combined stormwater and wastewater systems would see an increase of approximately $20 per month.

Pennsylvania’s Public Utility Commission must review and approve the new rates before they can be implemented. PA American submitted financial and operational data, and the release states that the filing supports critical infrastructure improvements totaling $1.2 billion statewide through mid 2027.

According to Brent Robinson, manager of external affairs, the company is advancing stormwater separation to keep rainwater out of the wastewater system — lowering the risk of backups and untreated discharges into the Monongahela River.

Robinson said PA American has also upgraded more than 14 miles of main in McKeesport over the last five years and connected 43 homes in Dravosburg to the system, which prevented 6.3 million gallons of untreated wastewater from reaching the river each year.

According to the release, the request “reinforces the company’s commitment” to implementing critical system upgrades and continuing to improve water quality and reliability for the more than 2.4 million people it serves statewide.

The investment will replace 117 miles of aging water main, continue eliminating lead service lines and address emerging contaminants such as PFAS in drinking water. The proposed rate change would also support wastewa- ter system upgrades, including the replacement of 32 miles of aging sewer main.

As part of the request, the company is also proposing a deduct adjustment, which calculates summertime wastewater charges based on a customer’s average winter water usage when outdoor use is typically low.

“This proposed adjustment allows customers to manage summer wastewater charges by accounting for outdoor water use,” Ladner said. “It’s a change that can lead to real savings for many customers.”

More details can be found at pennsylaniaamwater.com/ H2O.