Pittsfield Council OKs Similar Water/Sewer Rate Increases
PITTSFIELD, Mass.— The city will see similar rate increases for water and sewer costs in fiscal year 2027.
On Tuesday, the City Council approved a 7 percent water rate increase and a 6.40 percent sewer rate increase for the fiscal year beginning on July 1. This increases scheduled accounts by about $6.50 per month and metered accounts by about $4.30 per month.
They are based on a 5.10 percent Consumer Price Index Factor, used to adjust for inflation or deflation.
Under these rates, the average household pays about $370 per year for one toilet and about $461 for sewer, totaling around $831. Additional toilets cost about $416 per year, and metered water costs $2.67 per 100 cubic feet for water and $5.48 per 100 cubic feet for sewer, totaling $8.15 per 100 cubic feet.
Swimming pool charges would increase from $100 annually to $120.
Commissioner of Public Works and Utilities Ricardo Morales explained that there is a 1.3 percent operational stability factor for sewer to incorporate a 150 to 380 day level of retained earnings in operating funds, which is within the standard range.
"What that means is we need to have our retained earnings be able to fund our operating costs for that period, for that amount of time in hand. With that goal we set for sewer specifically, we're not anywhere close to that," he said.
"What we're doing is increasing slowly to get to that level as we go in year after year to get to a position where we can be even at 180 days of operating funds. Right now, we are close. We are around $700,000 in retained earnings, and that operational stability factor is being implemented to ensure that we can cover our expenses for the next fiscal year and inject some additional funds up to the retained earnings."
He said that the rates are different for water and sewer because of the different present and future expenses.
The FY26 increases were almost the same: a 7 percent water rate increase and a 6 percent sewer rate increase.
A couple of years ago, Mayor Peter Marchetti proposed a formula-based approach for water/sewer rates that aims to fairly adjust rates yearly using the Consumer Price Index Factor (CPIF) and the Operational Stability Factor (OSF).
The CPIF is calculated by comparing the year-over-year change in February of the CPI index for water and sewer. Before this, sewer and water charges were established from time to time by the commissioner of public services and utilities and adopted by the City Council.
Earlier in the meeting, the council saw an intermunicipal agreement with the Town of Dalton for the collection, treatment, and disposal of wastewater. The contract, which will result in a significant increase in money coming from Dalton, was referred to the Committee of the Whole.
"The new IMA includes responsibilities related to regulatory compliance, industrial pretreatment, and environmental standards," Morales wrote in a communication attached to the contract.
"This update ensures Dalton aligns with evolving federal and state regulations, particularly those concerning pretreatment and inflow/infiltration controls, which are critical for environmental protection and public health."
Ward 1 Councilor Kenneth Warren and Ward 5 Councilor Patrick Kavey voted against the rates.
Warren wanted to see if the OSF can be more flexible to account for the additional water funds, an estimated increase of 80 percent to Pittsfield.
"We're in a tight spot for everybody. We're a tight spot for homeowners, we're a tight spot for the city, and I mean, some people don't realize we just cut $4 million out of the school budget, so it's not like there's money growing on trees," he said.
"So I'm looking for whatever ways we can be creative."
Morales didn’t want to speculate whether the additional funds could lower the rates.
Kavey doesn’t see them going down because of the capital projects the city has planned for its infrastructure. He wants to see the remainder of the water meters purchased a few years ago, with the help of American Rescue Plan Act funds, dispersed; Morales said there have been meetings with the main companies that would meter the entire city, and a plan could come back to the council within the next year.
"I like your methodology to this," Ward 2 Councilor Cameron Cunningham said.
"I think it's new. I think it actually solves the problem in a systemic manner, and it sets us up for the future, prevents us from having these massive 50 percent hikes, or these detrimental drying of our accounts, when we want to say, replace our water infrastructure."
Tags: sewer rates,
