ALCOSAN approves three-year rate rises for Clean Water Program
Allegheny County Sanitary Authority, Pennsylvania · Meeting date: October 22, 2026 · Published: October 23, 2026
Allegheny County Sanitary Authority has approved rate increases of 14% in both 2027 and 2028, followed by 13.5% in 2029. The authority said the first-year increase would add about $25.19 per quarter for an average residential customer.
Key points
- Rates will rise by 14% in 2027 and 2028, and by 13.5% in 2029, under Resolution 2026-10-02.
- The 2027 rates take effect on January 1, although their appearance on bills will depend on municipal billing schedules and cycles.
- ALCOSAN said the average residential customer's ALCOSAN charge would rise by about $25.19 per quarter, or roughly $8.40 per month, in 2027.
- The authority linked the increase to advancing its Clean Water Program and meeting requirements of its federally mandated consent decree.
Full report
Allegheny County Sanitary Authority has adopted a new three-year rate structure that will increase charges by 14% in 2027 and 2028, followed by a 13.5% increase in 2029, providing additional revenue for its Clean Water Program and federally mandated consent-decree commitments.
The board unanimously approved Resolution 2026-10-02 at its October 22 meeting. The first increase takes effect on January 1, 2027. ALCOSAN said an average residential customer would see its average ALCOSAN charge increase by about $25.19 per quarter, or roughly $8.40 per month. The timing of the increase on customer bills will vary according to municipal billing cycles and schedules.
Staff said the increase was intended to advance the authority's Clean Water Program under the consent decree. Board members acknowledged the affordability implications of raising charges while arguing that the authority must maintain its commitment to the consent-decree timetable.
One board member said the authority had reviewed its spending with department heads and had sought to reduce costs where possible, while considering its bond rating and customer affordability. The board also said it should continue to pursue state and federal funding to allow future adjustments where needed.
The rate decision comes as the authority advances a major capital programme. Through October, ALCOSAN had spent close to $236.1m from its 2026 capital budget. The wet-weather pump station accounted for $51m of that spending and the Ohio River Tunnel for $83m; staff described both as projects that started during 2026 and were in their beginning phases.
The board also approved authority to condemn, or purchase in lieu of condemnation, Allegheny County tax parcel 48-R-161 for the Allegheny River Tunnel. Staff said the property was needed to advance the Clean Water Plan tunnel projects.
ALCOSAN's Clean Water Program director, CDM Smith, told the board that the programme coordinates consent-decree compliance, monitoring, modelling, permitting, cost and schedule tracking, and regulatory reporting. The programme recently reached a 480mgd milestone, which is incorporated into updates of the authority's conveyance-system model.
Separately, the board awarded Denali Water Solutions a biosolids management services agreement for January 1, 2027 through December 31, 2029, with extension options and fees to be negotiated by the executive director. The services cover beneficial reuse and disposal of the authority's solids product.
This summary was generated by AI based on the source document and may contain errors.
Source: Board Meeting, Allegheny County Sanitary Authority