PHILADELPHIA – Today, Councilmember Jamie Gauthier (3rd District) introduced Just Water, a package of bills to protect Philadelphians from unaffordable water bills and ensure tenants and low-income households have access to programs that keep water flowing. A majority of City Council already supports Just Water. Councilmembers Kendra Brooks, Mike Driscoll, Nicolas O’Rourke, and Anthony Phillips co-introduced this legislation with Councilmember Gauthier. Councilmembers Jim Harrity, Rue Landau, Quetcy Lozada, Mark Squilla, and Isaiah Thomas co-sponsored. Just Water is comprised of two bills and one resolution that will:
Councilmember Jamie Gauthier (3rd District) said, “Skyrocketing costs force too many Philadelphians into an impossible dilemma: keep the lights on, put food on the table, or pay the water bill. Water is a basic human right, not a luxury, and we are lucky to live in a city where our water system belongs to taxpayers, not corporate interests. As rates climb, Just Water will ensure families do not lose access to clean and affordable water.” Councilmember Mike Driscoll (6th District), Utilities Chairman, said, “The fundamental right to clean, safe, reasonable water access and billing is something I am proud to champion for all Philadelphians, particularly those on marginal or fixed incomes.” Councilmember Nicolas O’Rourke (At-Large), Minority Whip, said, “Councilmember Gauthier’s ‘Just Water’ package was very, very easy to endorse, because it’s another crucial effort to keep life affordable for Philadelphians. I’m working to ensure the system can’t be privatized, to avoid the steep rate hikes that follow a sell-off. But our public system still requires fair and transparent rate increases, so we need to make sure paying the water bill is manageable when wages aren’t inflating as fast as the price of life’s essentials.” Councilmember Anthony Phillips (9th District) said, “This legislation moves us closer to a water system that respects and protects our neighbors. By fixing long-standing issues and expanding affordability, we’re making sure no family is left carrying the burden of the City’s mistakes.” Failing meters, inherited bills, inadequate assistance programs, and rigid bureaucracy leave working families with no path to relief. 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. “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. 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. Far too often, renters lose access to water through no fault of their own. While the Philadelphia Water Department offers a 30-day protection from shutoff when customers request assistance, renters often remain locked out because, unlike other utilities, they cannot put their water bill in their name. Rick, a long-time West Philadelphia tenant, lost water service because his landlord stopped paying his water bill. Even though he was not responsible for the debt, Rick spent days travelling to the Municipal Services Building with every document he could gather, only to be turned away repeatedly and told he would need to pay more than $3,000 in charges that were his landlord’s responsibility. After completing a meter upgrade, PWD still refused to restore service because his landlord did not have a rental license. “It isn’t fair that I have to suffer because my landlord isn’t paying the bill,” Rick said. “I’ll provide any information that they need to turn the water back on.” Alexandra, a homeowner in the 3rd Council District, was hit with a bill exceeding $8,000 after upgrading her meter, as the previous meter had not transmitted data for eight years. “When I closed on my house, the Water Department reported an actual meter reading, and we ensured the property was up to date. Months later, after upgrading our meter at their recommendation, we found out through a regular monthly bill that we were being charged around $8,000 for previous residents’ usage. The appeal process was one of the more stressful and maddening experiences of my life. Communicating with PWD is like talking to a wall, and it is difficult to wrap my mind around how a city-run monopoly on an essential need operates this way. Something needs to change so working people don’t continue to pay for its incompetence.” Another homeowner has continually received water and sewer bills for a property that has been vacant and bone dry for several years. Another had their water shut off due to a meter issue and was told they must replace the meter and pay half of the $7,000 balance before PWD would restore service. A hearing will be held by the Committee on Housing, Neighborhood Development, and the Homeless, and the Committee on Transportation and Public Utilities, next year. The bills expanding TAP eligibility and requiring PWD to share responsibility for long-term meter failures will be referred to a committee for consideration. # # # |
