Water rates in Pittsburgh are skewed so that customers who use the least amount of water pay more per gallon than industries that use very large amounts. And the disparity will be exacerbated by Pittsburgh Water and Sewer Authority (PWSA) rate increases that are scheduled to go into effect on July 8. Further increases are planned for the following two years.

One of the reasons for the rate increase cited by the authority was that customers are using less water.

The proposed rate increases on the residential side will continue to charge customers with relatively low water use more per volume than customers who use more water. They also pay significantly more per gallon than large-scale commercial and industrial users. Education and health care facilities pay the highest rates; they will see their bills nearly double over the next three years if the proposed increases go through.

The new rates are slated to go into effect on July 8 if there are no objections from ratepayers.