Water rates up by 7 percent in July for parts of Maryland

Customers of the Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission (WSSC) will see their water rates rise by 7 percent on July 1. The rates will increase for the 1.8 million residents in Prince George’s and Montgomery counties and will add roughly $5 per month to the typical customer bill. The increases were approved on Thursday and follow several years of similar rate hikes.

The water rate rise will help pay for a 2 percent pay raise and some merit increases for WSSC’s 1,500 employees. The new funds are also needed to restore and update the agency’s aging pipes and other systems.