D.C. residents will see a small increase later this year in their bills for water and sewer service.

The D.C. Water and Sewer Authority Board of Directors on July 3 approved a 2.5 percent rate increase — significantly lower than the 4.4 percent increase that had been proposed by WASA managers.

The new rates, which will begin Oct. 1, will add about 92 cents to a typical residential customer’s monthly bill of about $41, WASA officials said.

The board also rejected a plan to increase rates another 5 percent in October 2004.

Board Chairman Glenn S. Gerstell said the board "closely scrutinized WASA’s financial position" and decided that cost savings achieved through better management of the Blue Plains Advanced Wastewater Treatment Plant in Southwest Washington should be passed on to customers.

The board’s Retail Rates Committee is expected to review WASA’s financial position sometime next year to decide if an additional rate increase is needed.

The rate increase is needed to fund WASA’s 10-year, $1.6 billion program of infrastructure improvements. Long-neglected improvements in the District’s water and sewer systems are necessary to meet and maintain regulatory requirements for drinking water quality and for discharge of pollutants into the environment.

Copyright 2003, The Common Denominator