SPRINGFIELD — Although water and sewer rates are expected to remain level in fiscal year 2026, the Springfield Water and Sewer Commission is proposing a new charge to its customers accounts.
Inside the commission’s proposed FY26 budget is a proposition to apply a monthly $11.50 Infrastructure Renewal Charge to the bills of customers that have a less than 1” meter and a larger monthly IRC for larger meter sizes.
The announcement of these changes comes before a June 4 public hearing on the commission’s FY26 budget and new rate structure.
The hearing is set for 6 p.m. and can be accessed by calling in: 413-261-6430, Conference ID: 368 813 62# or by entering a live video conference: tinyurl.com/yc6y9cej. Ratepayers, customers and members of the public are invited to participate, according to the commission.
If the budget is approved as is, a typical household would see their overall bill increase by $11.84 per month with the IRC included.
“The new IRC is being introduced in order proactively stabilize rates and support more predictable household budgets amidst several driving trends,” the commission said. “The first [trend] is the potential reduced availability of state and federal loan programs, which is
resulting in ongoing infrastructure upgrades being financed on a different schedule than previously planned. The second is the steady downward trend in water consumption.”
According to the commission, the inclusion of an IRC will also address the “increased volatility” in fixed costs like health insurance, biosolids disposal and project materials.
“The IRC will be tied to debt service obligations associated with infrastructure renewal, and is intended to reduce the potential for large, unpredictable spikes in rates,” the announcement said.
The introduction of the FY26 budget comes amid the commission’s implementation of its Water and Wastewater Infrastructure Renewal Program, which was launched in 2021 and includes 26 infrastructure upgrades to the region’s water and wastewater systems.
Among those projects is the new $363 million West Parish Water Treatment Plant, which “will modernize the region’s drinking water treatment technology and resolve regulatory compliance issues with disinfection byproducts.”
The project, which broke ground last fall, is expected to be completed by 2028.
“Together, we’re going to embark on what is arguably one of the largest public infrastructure projects the Greater Springfield region has seen this century,” said U.S. Sen. Ed Markey (D-Malden), at the time of the groundbreaking: tinyurl.com/y9fzex8a.
The commission is proposing some changes to its customer assistance programs to help residents manage their FY26 bills. One such proposal is to expand eligibility for disabled veterans from 80% to 10% disabled, while another proposition increases the commission’s low-income Customer Assistance Program maximum credit from $250 to $275.
Aside from those changes, the commission is also proposing to remove the one-time-only limit for a leak abatement of up to $500 and expand eligibility to once every five years.
Included in the public hearing announcement is a recommendation to increase senior, disabled and disabled veteran homeowner discount from $9 a month $10.50 a month to help minimize the impact of the IRC on customers’ bills.
“In this period of high reinvestment in our community, the commission is working to ensure not only reliability in water and sewer service but also stability in rates,” said Springfield Water and Sewer Commission Executive Director Josh Schimmel in a statement about the proposed budget. “The proposed FY26 budget reflects a necessary transition to more fixed revenue in order to support more predictable household water and sewer bills amid less predictable market conditions.”
If approved, the commission’s FY26 budget and new rates would go into effect July 1. Readers can learn more by visiting the Springfield Water and Sewer Commission website: waterandsewer.org/proposed-fy26-budget/.
