City Council approved Councilmember Jamie Gauthier’s Just Water legislative package, which makes water bills more affordable for working Philadelphians. These bills now head to Mayor Parker’s desk before becoming law.
Bill No. 251020 requires the City to share responsibility for long-term (12+ months) water meter failures that result in runaway water bills.
Bill No. 251021 expands eligibility for the Tiered Assistance Program (TAP) to 200% of the Federal Poverty Level (FPL). Households earning up to 300% of the FPL would qualify for structured payment plans.
“City Council voted to help more Philadelphians than ever before afford their water bills,” said bill sponsor Councilmember Jamie Gauthier (3rd District). “For working families, rising water rates means pinching pennies just to keep the water flowing, and for those already beyond their means, it means dry pipes. Water is a constitutionally recognized basic human right in Pennsylvania. To working families worried about paying their water bill, City Council wants you to know that we hear you and that help is on the way!”
“Low wage workers and tenants can face insurmountable obstacles to accessing programs to help with unaffordable water bills,” said Divisional Supervising Attorney for Community Legal Services’ (CLS) Energy Unit, Robert Ballenger. “CLS is proud to support Councilmember Gauthier’s “Just Water” legislative package that expands income eligibility for water payment assistance, convenes hearings to address the water affordability challenges for Philadelphia tenants, and promotes equitable treatment of families whose faulty meters result in alarmingly high bills.
Rebecca Pepe, MPH, PhD Candidate at the University of Pennsylvania, said: “Water insecurity is a much bigger problem in Philadelphia than many realize. The Pennsylvania Constitution recognizes water access as a basic human right, yet many Philadelphia residents have their water turned off each year because they are unable to pay their bills. Without running water, people can’t wash their hands, clean dishes, or prepare food. They have limited use of toilets and must find alternate means to bathe. Something as critical as a baby’s infant formula becomes highly stressful to prepare.”
Gigi McGraw, an impacted constituent, said, “The Philadelphia Water Department is owned by taxpayers like me, and it should put our interests first. I support Councilmember Jamie Gauthier’s Just Water legislation because customers like my mom have been burdened by systemic overbilling, rate discrepancies, and left to deal with the consequences of PWD’s infrastructure failures. Philadelphia deserves an accountable Water Department that provides affordable, clean water and that issues honest billing statements based on a properly functioning and accurate metering system.”
Effective September 1, 2025, PWD increased typical residential bills by 9.4%, to about $89.42 per month. In 2026, another 5.5% increase is scheduled, raising typical bills further to $94.31. At the same time, nearly half of renter households are cost-burdened, spending more than they can afford on housing. Just Water addresses these overlapping crises by making affordability programs more inclusive and holding the city accountable for systemic billing failures.
More than 42,000 households were enrolled in PWD’s Tiered Assistance Program in 2024 – an all-time high. More than 2,000 households avoided water shutoffs last fall alone through targeted City intervention.
In addition to legislative action, Just Water calls for a public hearing on how unaffordable or unpaid water bills impact tenants, and how the City can provide renters with equal access to water assistance in the future.
