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

The existing pricing system would remain in place. Only the amount of water available at the regular rate before higher rates begin would be adjusted.

Why is this proposal being considered?

Households come in many different sizes, yet every household currently begins with the same basic water allowance.

As a result, larger households often reach higher water rates sooner through normal daily use, simply because more people share the same basic water allowance.

The goal is to adjust the starting water allowance for participating households before higher rates apply, 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.

Once approved, participating households would receive an adjusted starting water allowance 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, the only pricing change would be an adjusted starting water allowance. Higher rates would still apply after that allowance is used.

How would household size be verified while protecting privacy?

Households choosing to participate could submit a secure online application and provide standard supporting documents 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 is intended to build on technology and administrative practices already used by comparable utilities, helping keep administrative costs practical without relying on large increases in staffing.