7% WSSC Rate Increase Proposed to Fund Montgomery County Infrastructure

Montgomery County Considers 7% Water Bill Increase

Montgomery County residents could soon see their monthly water bills climb by more than seven dollars as regional utility officials grapple with aging infrastructure and the fallout from a major electrical failure earlier this autumn.

The Montgomery County Council gave preliminary approval on Tuesday to establish spending control limits that allow the Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission to seek a rate increase of up to 7% for the next fiscal year. If enacted, the adjustment would add an estimated $7.23 to the average residential customer’s monthly bill.

Preliminary Vote Sets Budgetary Ceiling in Rockville

The unanimous vote during the council’s weekly meeting in Rockville acts as a budgetary ceiling, guiding the utility as it drafts its upcoming financial plan. The proposed rate hike is not set in stone and remains subject to a final council vote in May.

September Power Outage Exposes Regional Vulnerabilities

Councilmember Evan Glass, who chairs the council’s Transportation and Environment Committee, pointed directly to a September power outage at the WSSC filtration plant in Potomac as a catalyst for the increased spending. That electrical failure forced the utility to issue an essential water use only advisory that stayed in place for nearly two days.

🚨 MARYLAND WATER CUSTOMERS FACE POTENTIAL 11.7% RATE HIKE AS WSSC IDENTIFIES $155 MILLION IN ELECTRICAL UPGRADESPOTOMAC, MD — Weeks after an electrical failure threatened drinking water service for 1.9 million customers, WSSC Water has identified $155 million in needed…

— https://x.com/MDBayNews/status/2114686057132278090

While Glass praised the utility’s communication during the crisis, he noted that the incident laid bare deep-seated vulnerabilities within the regional water system.

“We tend to think about sewers and pipes, but here we were dealing with an electrical malfunction that is part of their capital budget and almost caused real concern throughout Montgomery County,” Glass said during the meeting.

Millions Earmarked for Outdated Potomac Facility

The proposed 7% rate increase will help finance $11.8 million in targeted electrical upgrades designed to prevent similar filtration plant failures. Beyond the immediate electrical work, the utility faces broader modernization hurdles.

During an Oct. 12 Transportation and Environment Committee meeting, WSSC General Manager and CEO Kishia Powell described the Potomac facility and its power grid as “aged.” “We’re dealing with original equipment, and much of it is no longer supported by the manufacturers,” Powell told committee members.

To tackle these vulnerabilities, WSSC is planning, with three projects totalling $133 million, to help address other vulnerabilities in its aging facilities. While those initiatives are not yet formally locked into the utility’s capital improvements program, Powell emphasized that leadership must find a financing mechanism to accelerate the work.

Diverging Rate Caps Across Bi-County Jurisdictions

WSSC provides drinking water to 1.9 million residents across both Montgomery and Prince George’s counties. Because the utility answers to two distinct county governments, approval processes occasionally diverge. On Oct. 20, the Prince George’s County Council approved a maximum rate increase of 5% for fiscal 2028, which would translate to a $6.19 monthly increase for the average residential customer.

A man walks past the montgomery county pa courthouse monday oct in norristown pa photomatt slocum

Senior Legislative Analyst Keith Levchenko noted during Tuesday’s meeting that differing regional rate caps are a routine part of the bi-county spending control process. WSSC Water will work within the two, most likely, Levchenko said.

The utility must present a draft fiscal 2028 budget to the public by Jan. 15, followed by an official budget submission to both county councils by March 1. The upcoming fiscal year begins on July 1.