NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING

NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING TO BE HELD BY THE BOSTON WATER AND SEWER COMMISSION CONCERNING ITS PROPOSED RATES FOR WATER, SEWER AND STORMWATER SERVICE COMMENCING JANUARY 1, 2026.

Pursuant to its Enabling Act, Chapter 436 of the Acts of 1977, the Boston Water and Sewer Commission will hold a public hearing commencing at 6:00 p.m., on Tuesday, December 09, 2025, at the Boston Water and Sewer Commission, Second Floor Training Room, 980 Harrison Avenue, Boston, Massachusetts, for the purpose of giving interested persons an opportunity to present data, views or arguments relative to the following schedule of rates for water, sewer and stormwater service in the City of Boston which are proposed to become effective January 1, 2026. Under the provisions of Chapter 2 of the Acts of 2025, signed into law by the Governor on March 29, 2025, further extending certain provisions of the Open Meeting Law until June 30, 2027, this hybrid meeting will also be conducted virtually via ZOOM.

PROPOSED CUSTOMER USE CHARGE EFFECTIVE JANUARY 1, 2026 TO DECEMBER 31, 2026

Consumption Water Rate Sewer Rate

Per 1,000 Per 1,000 Per 1,000 Per 1,000

(Cu. Ft/Day) Cubic Feet Gallons Cubic Feet Gallons

First 19 $70.19 $9.384 $66.68 $8.914

Next 20 $74.96 $10.022 $77.87 $10.410

Next 50 $81.75 $10.930 $96.24 $12.866

Next 260 $87.14 $11.649 $107.69 $14.397

Next 950 $91.71 $12.261 $117.20 $15.668

Over 1299 $95.48 $12.764 $126.03 $16.849

The proposed change in water and sewer rates represents a combined revenue increase of 1.50% based on the current fiscal 2026 rate structure.

PROPOSED STORMWATER CHARGE RATES EFFECTIVE JANUARY 1, 2026

The proposed stormwater charge would be a charge for all parcels in the City of Boston with greater than 400 square feet of impervious (hard/impermeable) surface. The stormwater charge will be charged per Equivalent Residential Unit (ERU). Each ERU is equal to 2,164 square feet of impervious surface. The rate per ERU will be $9.06.

PROPOSED SPECIAL SERVICE FEE SCHEDULE

Type

Fee

Water, Sewer and Stormwater

Lien Certificate (1)

$150.00 Maximum

Return Check Processing Fee $25.00

Cross Connection Inspection (2) $160.00

Administrative Processing Fee (2a) $65.00

Installation Application Fee

Size of Pipe

5/8 Inch Cost Basis

1 Inch Cost Basis

11/2 Inch

Cost Basis

Excavation

Cost Basis ($900.00 deposit required)

Fire Pipe Excavation

Cost Basis ($2,500.00 deposit required)

Water Pipe Inspection: (3)

Mon. thru Sat., regular hours $400.00 per connect or disconnect

Mon. thru Sat., overtime rate $470.00 per connect or disconnect

Sunday & Holidays

$530.00 per connect or disconnect

Sewer Pipe Inspection: (3)

Mon. thru Sat., regular hours $400.00 per connect or disconnect

Mon. thru Sat., overtime rate $470.00 per connect or disconnect

Sunday & Holidays

$530.00 per connect or disconnect

Water and Sewer Construction

Multi-day inspection (4)

$1,170.00 per diem

Multi-day inspection (4), overtime rate

$1,370.00 per diem

Multi-day inspection (4)

(Sunday&Holidays)

$1,565.00 per diem

Water Turn-off (5) $40.00

Water-On (6) $40.00

Termination Notice (7) $80.00

Fire Flow Test $660.00

Temporary Connection/

Hydrant Permit (8)

$100.00 per initial 90-day period and every 30-day period thereafter, plus water usage ($750.00 deposit required)

Street Sweeper Hydrant Permit $2,285.00 Annually (July 1 to June

30)

Special Meter Test (9)

Cost Basis

Drain Layers License:

-New $300.00

-Renewal $100.00

Construction Plans and Drawings (10) $6.00

Frozen Meter Replacements (11) Cost Basis

Water Meter 3” and Larger Installed Cost Basis

Sewer Abatement Meter Installed Cost Basis

Meter Transmission Unit Installed Cost Basis

Off Hour Meter Service

Cost Basis

Leak Up to Owner (LUTO) and

Lead Pipe Replacement (12) Cost Basis

Grease Trap Permit Fee

$160.00 Annually/Per Grease Trap

Hydrants (13)

Cost Basis

Industrial Stormwater

Inspection Fee (14)

Cost Basis

Creation of as-built Plans (15) $460.00

(1) In accordance with M.G.L. Chapter 60, Section 23B, “…for land of less than one acre upon which there is no permanent structure, a fee of twenty-five dollars; for land upon which is situated no more than a single family residence and outbuildings, a fee of twenty-five dollars; for land upon which is situated no more than a two family residence and outbuildings, a fee of twenty-five dollars; for land upon which is situated no more than a three family residence with outbuildings, a fee of twenty-five dollars; for land upon which is situated a residence for four or more families, a fee of one hundred dollars; for land upon which is situated a commercial, industrial or public utility structure, a fee of one hundred and fifty dollars. In no case shall the fee exceed one half of one percent of the assessed value of the real estate …”

(2) Requires annual inspection of each device.

(2a) Fee charged when property owner performs inspection but Commission processes paperwork.

(3) For inspections that take place on Sundays, Holidays and outside regularly schedule work hours, a fee of $530.00 per connection or disconnection.

(4) Assessed daily while providing water and sewer inspection services on construction projects of one or more days duration.

(5) Not applicable if account was terminated for non-payment of charges (fee included in Termination Notice Fee).

(6) Applicable to any account requesting water turn-on services.

(7) Charge for mailing and posting final termination notice and demand for payment pursuant to the Billing, Termination and Appeal Regulations of the Commission.

(8) The Commission currently requires a $750.00 deposit for hydrant meters issued to private contractors. The deposits are refundable upon return of hydrants less any usage fees or charges for damage to the meter. On occasion, a hydrant meter is not returned to the Commission because it has been lost, stolen or misplaced. Other times a hydrant meter may be returned with a broken, damaged or frozen insert that causes it to under-register or not register water consumption at all. In both these instances, the Commission is unable to calculate the amount of water used. A standard $400.00 water usage fee will be applied in these circumstances.

Hydrant Meters Replacement Cost

Check Valve $125.00

Hose Cap Reducer 2 1/2 x ¾ $100.00

Hose Nipple $150.00

Hydrant Cap $300.00

Hydrant Meter $1,800.00

Hydrant Wrench $150.00

Meter Insert $630.00

Gate Valve $175.00

(9) No charge if meter is over-registering, based on American Water Works Association standards, or if a Commission ordered test.

Size of Meter

Fee

5/8 Inch $490.00

1 Inch $610.00

11/2 Inch $980.00

2 Inch $1,170.00

3 Inch or larger Cost plus materials

(10) Maps, drawings and prints may be obtained from the Commission on request. Public agencies and Commission consultants and contractors (on bid projects only) receive maps at no charge. The cost per map is detailed below.

Type I. Base Maps:

-Prints -Paper Sepias -Mylar Sepias*

-Washoff Mylars*

Cost

$6.00/sheet $6.00/sheet $50.00/set plus printer’s charge $50.00/set plus printer’s charge

II. Water and Sewer Maps:

-Prints

$6.00/sheet

-Paper Sepias

$6.00/sheet

-Mylar Sepias

Not Available

-Washoff Mylars

Not Available

*Sold to government agencies only

III. Digital Images:

Citywide Area By Tile Area Orthophotographs 1 foot resolution: $300.00 Not Available 100 scale PDFs of Water and Sewer Facilities:

$250.00 $6.00/map tile

IV. Data Layers: Personal Geodatabase $150.00 Each Layer $20.00 AutoCAD DXF format: Water $250.00 $5.00 AutoCAD DXF format: Sewer $250.00 $5.00 AutoCAD DXF format: Landbase $250.00 $5.00

(11) For replacement of frozen meters.

Size of Meter

Replacement Fee

5/8 Inch $410.00

1 Inch $525.00

11/2 Inch $900.00

2 Inch $1,085.00

3 Inch or larger Cost plus materials

(12) Leak up to Owner (LUTO) & Lead Pipe Replacement associated costs for services based on annual contract bid.

(13) The Commission requires that hydrants used for private fire protection be purchased from the Commission at cost.

(14) Industrial stormwater inspections are scheduled to be conducted bi-annually. The inspections are required by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for the prevention of pollution to rivers, lakes, streams and oceans. Below is the Industrial Facility Stormwater Pollution Prevention Program Inspection Fee Schedule.

Industrial Facility Type Initial Bi Annual Certificate of No Exposure

Inspection Inspection Inspection

Major Industry (1 acre or greater) $260.00 $225.00 $115.00

Minor Industry/Business (Less than an acre) $150.00 $150.00 $75.00

(15) The Commission requires an as-built plan for each approved site plan.

The as-built plans are to be submitted by the owner for all projects deemed complex by the Commission. All other as-built plans will be created by the Commission for a fee of $460.00 per site. The Commission will determine which site plans will require an as-built plan submitted by the owner or an as-built plan to be created by the Commission for $460.00.

PROPOSED SPECIAL FIRE SERVICE FEES (Internal Sprinklers and Standpipe)

Size of Pipe

Daily Charge

4 inch or smaller $1.03

6 inch $2.33

8 inch or larger $4.15

PROPOSED LATE PAYMENT CHARGE