Water & Sewer
Department Overview
The City of Binghamton’s Water & Sewer Department main complex is located on the city’s South side, at 25 Broome Street. This department presently has 59 employees and this newly updated complex houses offices for:
- Water Treatment Plant
- Water Distribution Services
- Water Meter Services
- Sewer Collection Services
2008: A Year of Changes for the Water Department
This year has seen it's share of reform in the water department: from rates, to billing schedules, to shutting off water service to delinquent users. In order to keep residents fully informed of these changes, we've provided brief summaries of the following :
- WATER RATE CHANGES (see below)
- WATER REFORM PACKAGE: We've created a dedicated page to explain the following elements:
- New Billing Schedule
- New Payment Options
- New Shut-Off Enforcement
- New Water Services Fee Sheet
Please feel free to contact us at the Water Department if you have any questions.
2008 Water Rates
In order to deal with continued financial distresses in the water fund, and in response to quickly increasing costs of petroleum-based products used in the production and distribution of quality municipal water, the City announced in March a proposed rate increase of 40% in the water rates.
In addition to the four public comment sessions hosted by the Water Superintendent, Mayor Ryan also held a public forum on March 27 in order to listen to residents' concerns and share the reasoning behind the proposed rate increase.
Based on comments from homeowners and business owners, the City approved on March 31, 2008 a two-step increase in water rates, 30% and 10%. The 30% will be in effect for usage between April 1 - July 31, 2008 and reflected in the last bill in 2008. The subsequent 10% increase will be in effect for usage between August 1 - November 30, 2008 and reflected in the first bill of 2009.
(NOTE: See the Water Reform Package page for more information about the new schedule.)
In response to the continued frustration and concerns over the water rate increases, and in keeping with Mayor Ryan's pledge of open government, the City has prepared a "Citizen's Guide" to better explain the reasoning behind the inevitable rate increases and the continued financial challenges we face as a community.
Please feel free to contact Mayor Ryan or his staff at (607) 772-7001 with any questions or comments about the information presented in the Citizen's Guide.
