About the Infrastructure Renewal Charge (IRC)
The Infrastructure Renewal Charge is a new, fixed charge on your monthly water & sewer bill. For most homes (meters ½″–1″), it will be $11.50 per month. Larger meters will pay a higher charge that scales with size.
The IRC was approved by the Board of Commissioners on June 18, 2025, as part of its approval of the Fiscal Year 2026 budget. The IRC will first be reflected in July 2025 bills.
Why add the IRC?
- Stabilize Funding: About 90% of the Commission's costs—treatment, maintenance, staff—stay the same no matter how much water customers use. Yet most of the Commission's revenue is based on fluctuating water use. A fixed charge provides more steady revenue even when water use drops.
- Support Infrastructure Renewal: The Commission is currently in the middle of the largest reinvestment in your water and sewer systems in its history, including construction of the new West Parish Water Treatment Plant. As construction prices and financing sources become more unpredictable, the IRC helps minimize potential rate spikes in the future.
How will it affect my bill?
- Water and sewer rates will not go up (0% increase) in fiscal year 2026 (July 1, 2025 - June 30, 2026).
- Including a $0.34 increase in the monthly meter charge, the typical household bill will increase by $11.84, or 8.9%. (Accounts with meters greater than 1" will have a higher IRC charge.)
- The IRC is tied to debt service for ongoing infrastructure renewal. The IRC and water/sewer usage rates are reviewed and adjusted annually as part of the annual budget process. Any change must be approved by the Board of Commissioners through a public budgeting process.
Help is available.
We’re expanding discounts and assistance programs for seniors, people with disabilities, disabled Veterans, and income-qualified homeowners. Leak-abatement credits and payment plans are also available.
- Discount for Senior, Disabled, and Disabled Veteran Homeowners - As of Fiscal Year 2026, homeowners who are 68 years and older may apply for a billing allowance on their water bill in the amount of $126 per year/$10.50 per month. Only owner-occupied, residential, single-family homes are eligible for allowance. Eligibility for disabled Veterans has now been expanded from 80% to 10% disabled.
- Customer Assistance Program (CAP) - The CAP is intended to support low-income, single-family homeowners with water and/or sewer accounts with the Commission. Eligible and approved customers can receive a one-time, annual account credit equal to 25% of your annual bill (up to $275 in Fiscal Year 2026), regardless of your account balance. All customers are required to re-apply annually.
- Leak Abatements: As of Fiscal Year 2026, leak abatements of up to $500 are available once every 5 years for eligible customers.
Bottom Line
The IRC is an investment in safe, reliable water and sewer service—for today’s customers and the next generation—while keeping future rate increases predictable and manageable.
More questions?
Call us at 413-452-1393 or email info@waterandsewer.org. We can help you confirm your meter size and IRC tier, walk through your bill line by line, and discuss customer assistance options and payment plans.