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Duquesne Residents Speak Out on Sewer Bills
City officials: Facebook should not be used for official complaints, emergencies
By Tom Leturgey
The Tube City Almanac
April 07, 2023
Posted in: Duquesne News
Duquesne residents who have seen their sewerage bills increase as much as 29 percent are complaining to city council.
Councilman Aaron Adams noted that he has received many calls from concerned citizens after they received their most recent invoices. Sewerage in Duquesne is handled by Pennsylvania American Water Co., which purchased the McKeesport municipal sewer authority in December 2017.
The rate increase was approved by the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission, not by the city, Adams said.
According to the state PUC, commissioners in December approved a combined 16.6 percent increase in PAWC’s rates, including 14.5 percent on water bills and 39.1 percent on sewerage bills.
The increases are expected to raise $138 million in additional revenue statewide for PAWC, the PUC said.
Adams said he has met with State Rep. Matt Gergely about the matter and the city is pursuing other meetings to address the issue.
Councilman Adams said Gergely has asked Duquesne officials to come up with a list of “major needs” for his records. Adams asked his fellow elected officials to compile the list, and he’d present it to Gergely for potential funding in the future.
The Duquesne Water Department continues to terminate unpaid water accounts, Adams said. So far, 60 out of 74 delinquent accounts have been shut off due to lack of payment.
Residents who are experiencing low water pressure in their homes or businesses should contact the city’s Water Department directly, Adams said. Some homeowners have posted their problems on Facebook, but, he said, the city’s Facebook page isn’t monitored 24 hours per day and is not the way to report an issue such as low water pressure.
Mayor Scott Adams made a similar comment about police and safety complaints on social media. He said residents need to call 9-1-1 to report emergencies and city hall for other problems, not post complaints on Facebook.
Originally published April 07, 2023.
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