Wilmington has increased its water/sewer rates by 5.7%. (Pixabay photo from Unsplash)

Wilmington water bills going up. And up. And up. And up.

Ken MammarellaBusiness, Headlines

Wilmington in July increased its water/sewer rates for its customers in the city and the suburbs. And it’s planning to increase them in 2024. And 2025. And 2026. “Water/sewer rates increased on July 1 by 5.7% for all categories of our customers (city and non-city),” said John Rago, deputy chief of staff for Mayor Mike Purzycki. “The projected increases for …

Artesian asks to raises rates; average bill would go up 7%

Ken MammarellaBusiness, Headlines

The Artesian Water Co., which supplies water to over a third of Delaware’s residents, has filed a request to increase rates. If the Delaware Public Service Commission approves the proposal, the bill for the average residential customer using 4,000 gallons per month would increase $49.90 to $56.73. That’s not quite 7% higher. The application to the PSC asks to increase …

Veolia has filed for a rate increase for New Castle County water customers. (Photo by Jacek Dylag on Unsplash)

Veolia work would raise average monthly bill $4.51

Ken MammarellaBusiness, Headlines

Veolia on Thursday filed a $43 million infrastructure plan with the Delaware Public Service Commission. If the commission grants the request in full, the average residential water bill for Veolia customers in New Castle County would go up $4.51 per month. With additional infrastructure investments on the horizon, the company, which serves more than 100,000 Delawareans, has also proposed a …

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Veolia surprises customers with credit in water bills

Ken MammarellaBusiness, Headlines

A mega-deal among two large French companies that operate a lot of local water systems has resulted in a one-time credit for Delaware customers and a bunch of other commitments. Veolia’s merger with Suez had to go through various regulatory agencies, including the Delaware Public Service Commission, which approved the credit in November and ordered Veolia to include it in …

Dozens of schools in Delaware have been identified as having lead contaminants in their water supply.

William Penn among 22 schools with elevated levels of lead in water

Jarek RutzHeadlines, Education

The bad news: Colonial School District expects to pay at least $350,000 to repair a water main suspected of bringing lead into its buildings. The good news: None of the water is reaching students or workers. As soon as Colonial was notified, school fountains were turned off, while sinks and toilets are allowed to run, because lead is not absorbed …

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USGS finds PFAS in untreated well water throughout Delaware

Charles MegginsonHeadlines, Health

The U.S. Geological Survey announced Wednesday that forever chemicals known as PFAS have been found in untreated well water throughout Delaware. Per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS, are a group of more than 4,000 manmade chemicals used to make fluoropolymer coatings and products that resist heat, oil, stains, grease, and water.  According to the Centers for Disease Control, fluoropolymer coatings can …

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Wells among concerns at first clean water committee hearing

Charles MegginsonGovernment, Headlines

A new committee focused on improving water quality in Delaware offered a glimpse into some of the projects it hopes to tackle during the first of three public meetings Tuesday. The Delaware Clean Water Trust Oversight Committee has a broad list of objectives, including improving flood resilience, repairing failing sewer pipes, improving drinking water quality, removing pollution from Delaware’s waterways …