On July 1, the Philadelphia Water Department implemented an income-based billing program, designed in a way that was unique for any utility in the country. A key provision was that ratepayers wouldn’t have to become delinquent on their bills first in order to qualify and receive assistance.
Several months in, the new program is working well for the utility, though not without some issues. According to a report by Circle of Blue, as of the end of October, there had been nearly 10,000 applications, but only 2,135 people had been accepted into the program (a rate of 21 percent). There have
Utility Serves as Model for Income-Based Water Billing
The Philadelphia Water Department works through some growing pains as it tries to establish a tiered rate structure for low-income residents
Dec 11, 2017
| by Kyle Rogers |
