Montgomery and Prince George's county households will pay an average of $13.80 more per quarter for water and sewer services beginning July 1 as part of a $1.1 billion budget approved Thursday for the Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission. The two county councils approved the utility's budget unanimously in a joint session. The 8.5 percent rate increase will also apply to businesses and government buildings. The additional money will fund increased sewage treatment costs, such as for electricity and fuel, and measures the agency must take to comply with a consent decree to control sewer overflows. The increased revenue also will pay to continue inspections and replacement of aging infrastructure, said WSSC spokesman John White.
The WSSC's aging underground pipes drew national scrutiny last year after a massive concrete pipe ruptured beneath River Road in late 2008, stranding motorists in a torrent of frigid water. Like water utilities across the country, experts have said, WSSC has fallen behind on replacing its pipes, some dating back almost 100 years. This is the seventh year the utility has increased water and sewer rates. SOURCE: Washington Post
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