Veolia’s facility at facility at 2000 First State Boulevard Wilmington
Veolia Water Delaware has filed for a 42.8% rate increase that would raise its average customer’s monthly water bill by about $19 starting in August 2025, according to documents filed with the Delaware Public Service Commission.
The increase would push typical residential bills from their current $40 range to nearly $60 per month, or about 63 cents more per day for the average household using 132 gallons daily. This comes just over a year after the company’s last rate increase of 12.67% approved in 2024.
The main driver behind the proposed increase is a $42.5 million project to upgrade Veolia’s Stanton Water Treatment Plant to meet new federal drinking water standards for PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances) announced by the Environmental Protection Agency in April 2024. The project will also require about $5 million annually in ongoing operating costs for maintenance and disposal.
“Today marks a new era for our customers in Delaware and a major step in improving drinking water quality in the region,” said Larry Finnicum, regional president of Veolia’s Mid-Atlantic Utility Division. He noted that Veolia is “leading the way” by meeting the new EPA standards ahead of the proposed federal timeline of 2029.
However, David Stevenson, director of the Center for Energy & Environment Policy at the Caesar Rodney Institute, raised questions about potential federal funding that could offset these costs. The Inflation Reduction Act includes $1 billion to help water suppliers implement PFAS mitigation. Stevenson asked whether Veolia “has sufficiently monitored for the specific regulated PFAs, are they out of attainment, and have they applied for Inflation Reduction Act funding?”
Veolia serves approximately 39,600 customers and more than 100,000 people across northern New Castle County, including portions of Wilmington, Newark, Bear, St. Georges, and Delaware City. The company says its current rates are 12% lower than Delaware’s top Class A private water company, Artesian.
The rate request also includes investments in Veolia’s water distribution system, including new storage tanks and updates to water mains, service lines, and hydrants. In total, the company plans to invest $62.4 million in infrastructure improvements through June 2025.
Delaware Public Service Commission Executive Director Matt Hartigan said the rate case typically takes six to nine months to resolve. “We look forward to working with the company and its customers as we work through the process,” he said.
For customers concerned about the rate increase, Veolia offers payment plans and financial assistance programs, including grants of up to $150 annually for qualifying residential customers experiencing financial hardship through its Veolia Cares program.
Peter Osborne has more than 15 years of experience as an award-winning business reporter and editor, leading two papers (the Delaware Business Times and Dallas Business Journal) to recognition as the nation’s most improved business publications. Osborne also helped launch The News Journal’s now-defunct Business Monday section and worked in communications and business development for MBNA America and Bank of America.
Source: delawarelive.com…