Monroeville water, sewer rates to increase Jan. 10

Monroeville’s water and sewer rates are increasing in 2021.

The 7% increase to customers’ sewer bills and the 5% increase to water bills will take effect Jan. 10, according to a news release posted Dec. 28 on the Monroeville Municipal Authority’s website.

The current sewer rate is $12.75 per 1,000 gallons used. The new rate will be $13.64 per 1,000 gallons used. The current water rate is $5.46 per 1,000 gallons used. The new rate will be $5.73 per 1,000 gallons used.

The authority’s rate increases are independent of 7% rate hikes implemented by Alcosan, which treats wastewater for 83 communities, including Monroeville, in Allegheny County. The monthly service charge will be raised from $5.95 to $6.37.

That rate hike took effect Jan. 1.

The Monroeville Municipal Authority blamed Alcosan’s rate hikes, inflation, upgrades to its water infrastructure and increases in operational expenses and supplier purchasing rates for the sewer and water rate hikes.

The authority’s board in April narrowly approved its utility workers union contract that included salary increases of 3.25% to 3.5% through April 2023. There would also be a retroactive salary bump of 3.25% for work performed through April 2020, since the contract expired a year prior. Raises then jump to 3.5% through the end of the contract.

The contract passed with a 4-3 vote. Members Gary Delorenzo, Dave Magill and Tom Pegg dissented.

At the time, Delorenzo said rate hikes in sewer and water bills would be an unnecessary burden for those struggling through the coronavirus pandemic. He also said the bumps in salary and that an overall lack of transparency on the board could lead to rate hikes.

Delorenzo’s term expired Jan. 1. He served two, five-year terms — maxing out the allowable tenure on the board.

He declined to comment on the recent rate hikes.

The last time the authority’s rates increased was in 2018, when both sewer and water increased by 3%. The current rates can be found on the authority’s website under the “Customer Service” tab.

In 2017, the sewer rate increased by 5%, while water stayed the same.

The authority’s news release said its water rate is still within the lowest 10% of purchased water rates in the area.