Bret and Megan Hamilton are frustrated over what they say is a skyrocketing increase in their sewer bill.
“From $70 a month to $344 a month,” Bret Hamilton said.
“They’re charging us for a service they’re not doing,” Megan Hamilton added.
The West Bradford Township, Pennsylvania, couple said in the summer of 2024, an approved rate hike for Community Utilities of Pennsylvania by the Pennsylvania Utility Commission changed their monthly sewer billing from a $74 flat rate to a metered rate, which is based on all water flowing into the home, with usage captured by a water meter.
They call foul, saying not all that water is going down the drain.
“They’re not cleaning all of the water,” Bret Hamilton said. “If you turn a hose on and leave it in the front yard for 20 minutes to water the trees, the lawn, whatever it might be, the water never reaches the wastewater system.”
Hamilton showed us his bills, which have an explosion of increases month over month. He filed a complaint with the Pennsylvania Utility Commission. Records show it was dismissed on the grounds that there wasn’t anything “unreasonable” with the provisions of the utility company’s rate hike. He disagrees.
“We’re not taking 15 more showers, we’re not flushing the toilet over and over and over again,” he said. “How all of the sudden in the summer when we are using water outside are we being billed for water that’s never being cleaned?”
People showed up to a scheduled community meeting Monday afternoon to confront Community Utilities representatives over their higher bills.
“They’ve gone up about 600%,” Jason Showers said of his sewer bill. He came seeking answers.
Last month, his formal complaint against the utility company was also dismissed on the grounds that it found nothing “unreasonable” with the terms of the rate hike. Rulings can be appealed to Pennsylvania Commonwealth Court.
“How can you charge someone for a service you’re not providing them on that amount of water?” said Sally Ann Jauch of West Bradford.
In an interview, a spokesperson for Community Utilities of Pennsylvania said they welcomed the feedback about their rate hike and said the consumer advocate recommended volume-based rates as opposed to the old flat system, according to the spokesperson.
“We have heard our customers tell us that they would be interested in an irrigation meter — and so that’s not something we’re against, that we can look into in the future,” said spokesperson Karen Cotton. “It would require a tariff for those meters, but we’re open to that.”
The Hamiltons say they’re frustrated.
“Nobody is listening on a local level, and nobody is listening on a state level,” Bret Hamilton said.
The Hamiltons said they are open to irrigation or “deduction meters” to show water that’s being used outside for watering plants or washing cars and isn’t ending up down the sewer.
