Cincinnati water bills could rise nearly 10% annually through 2031
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Greater Cincinnati Water Works wants to raise your water rate by 9.5% annually for the next five years, potentially adding nearly $19 a month to the average customer's bill by 2031.
Why it matters: The proposed increases would affect residential and commercial customers across the region as the utility faces hundreds of millions of dollars in federally mandated upgrades.
State of play: GCWW is seeking the increase every year from 2027 through 2031, spokesperson Kevin Osborne tells Axios.
- The average residential customer would pay an extra $3.78 per month in the first year.
- By the end of the five years, the average monthly bill would be $18.88 higher than it is today, reflecting compounded increases.
The catch: Cincinnati's City Council has to approve the rate hikes, even though two-thirds of the utility's revenue comes from outside the city.
- Leaders in those communities have no approval authority.
Behind the scenes: Osborne says two federal regulations are driving much of the need for additional revenue.
- Lead pipes: GCWW must replace roughly 30,000 remaining lead service lines by 2037, a project Osborne says is likely to cost at least $230 million over the next decade.
- Forever chemicals: The utility needs up to $120 million in new treatment technology to reduce PFAS levels at its Bolton Plant in Fairfield, which serves about 12% of customers.
Zoom in: Most of the utility's water already meets the new federal PFAS limits, Osborne says, but the Bolton Plant requires additional treatment.
- Meanwhile, inflation has driven up the cost of electricity, treatment chemicals and labor.
Threat level: If council says no, GCWW anticipates having to scale back maintenance and infrastructure improvements in other areas.
- That could mean more water main leaks and breaks, particularly during colder months, along with potential disruptions to homeowners and street construction projects, Osborne says.
What they're saying: "We are required to comply with regulations on lead pipes and PFAS chemicals, so those aren't negotiable," GCWW executive director Andrea Yang tells Axios. "That means we would have to reduce costs on repairs and maintenance if the rate increase isn't approved."