BUFFALO, N.Y. (WKBW) — Erie County Water Authority announced Friday its approved 2023 budget which includes an increase in the commodity water rate.
The rate is expected to rise 46 cents per 1,000 gallons. The new budget will also add $2.73 to the quarterly Infrastructure Investment Charge for ECWA's over 173,000 small-meter residential customers.
Starting Jan. 1, 2023, all residential customers will pay a rate of $4.26 per 1,000 gallons. The combined increases will cost ECWA customers around $36.68 or 10 cents a day in 2023.
ECWA Chairman Jerry Schad attributes the increase to economic conditions such as inflation, rising interest rates, and supply chain issues.
"Private and public utilities throughout Western New York are experiencing large increases in their cost of doing business and in turn having to increase the cost of providing services to customers, and the ECWA is no exception," Schad said. "Our financial professionals did an excellent job presenting a very sound budget that contains expenses within our control and continues our historic investment in ECWA's system-wide infrastructure."
ECWA has additionally said that 75% of the rate increase is directly the result of cost increases that are out of the water authority's control.
