The Proposal

What would this proposal do?

This proposal introduces an optional adjustment to the starting water allowance based on the number of people living in the home.

Instead of using the same starting water allowance regardless of household size, participating households could receive an adjusted allowance based on the number of permanent household members.

The tiered pricing system would remain in place. Only the amount of water included in the starting allowance before higher rates begin would be adjusted.

Why is this proposal being considered?

Households come in many different sizes, but the starting water allowance does not change based on how many people live in the home.

As a result, a larger household can reach higher-priced tiers sooner through ordinary household needs simply because more people share one meter while the starting allowance stays the same.

The goal is to make the starting water allowance fairer and more equitable for participating households while keeping higher conservation rates in place.

How would it work?

Participation would be optional. Households that choose to participate would be able to request an adjustment through a secure online process and provide reasonable proof of how many permanent residents live in the home. The same eligibility and verification rules would apply to everyone who participates.

Once approved, participating households would receive a fairer starting water allowance adjusted for household size before higher rates apply.

Higher-priced conservation tiers would remain, and water used beyond the adjusted allowance would still be billed at the higher rates.

What Stays the Same?

Higher rates for higher water use would remain in place.

Those higher rates would continue to encourage responsible water conservation.

Households that choose not to participate would keep their current starting water allowance and would not need to provide household information.

For approved participating households, there would be no special discounted water rate. They would pay the same tier rates as other customers. The adjustment would apply only to the starting water allowance, so it can more fairly reflect the basic water needs of the people living in the home. Once that allowance is used, the same higher rates would apply.

How would household size be verified while protecting privacy?

Households choosing to participate could submit a secure online application and provide reasonable supporting documentation to verify the number of permanent household members.

Applicants would only be asked to provide the information needed to verify household size.

Applications could be handled through modern online systems, with appropriate human review when needed to help ensure accuracy.

Customer information would be used only to review and administer the household-size adjustment. The PSC and utilities would establish the exact application, documentation, privacy, and renewal rules for New York.

How could this work in practice?

Many utilities already use secure online portals to process customer requests more efficiently than traditional paper-based applications.

Modern online systems can help reduce paperwork, simplify application processing, and minimize the amount of manual administrative work required.

With appropriate human review, this proposal could build on technology and administrative practices already used by comparable utilities. A New York program could use many of the same tools, while its exact staffing and administrative costs would depend on the final design.