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Mostly Cloudy Liberty New York Water raises rates on North Shore by 13 percent
Liberty New York Water has raised rates across Long Island, with an average increase of roughly 13 percent per month for North Shore customers, while in other municipalities such as Merrick, the increase has been as much as 42 percent. Liberty justified this rate increase by claiming that it was necessary “to provide safe, adequate and reliable water service” in their filing letter to the New York State Public Service Commission.
The rate increase took effect June 3, although the rates will be suspended through March 31, 2024 so that the Public Service Commission can review them. Liberty is seeking to raise their total revenues by roughly $40 million across its service areas on Long Island.
Customers on the North Shore can expect an average rate increase of an estimated $7.37 per month, depending on their water consumption.
Chris Alario, Liberty’s president, explained in a statement that the rate update request was preceded by an internal review that concluded that it was necessary to raise the rates to improve their ageing infrastructure, provide customers with a fee-free program for electronic payments, supporting projects such as the granular activated carbon plant in Glen Head and more.
“The filing of this rate update request followed a complex and holistic review of our utility that revealed a modification of rates is necessary to continue important infrastructure improvements, water quality projects, and resiliency and reliability upgrades throughout the various communities we serve,” Alario said. “We are committed to a transparent process and will be providing our customers with many opportunities to learn more about the details of this filing and how to be a part of the public process with the PSC (Public Service Commission).”
Not all customers agree that the rate increase is necessary, however. Agatha Nadel, a Glen Head resident who has worked for years to raise awareness about and oppose Liberty and its predecessor, New York American Water, said its standard practice for private water companies to raise their rates every few years, regardless of the necessity.
Nadel added that while a 13 percent increase may not seem like much on its own, as the rates continue to rise, they compound, and pointed out that the last rate increase had been over 100 percent, although Liberty did not own New York American Water at the time. She also maintained that even if the rate increase had been smaller, “I’m still paying a heck of a lot more for water than my neighbors with public water.”
Nadel added that she did not expect there to be any pushback from the Public Service Commission, which she claims “rubber stamps” rate increase requests regularly. She has long pushed for the establishment of a public water authority, the Water Authority of North Shore, which was established in 2022, which she argues is the only way to prevent private water companies from extorting their customers.
“There’s nothing anyone can do about these rate increases until we have our own water authority,” Nadel said. “The longer it takes for Liberty to be bought out (by the Water Authority), the longer these rate increases will continue.”
Nadel isn’t the only one who thinks that public water will improve the lives and finances of Liberty customers. Dave Denenberg, a former county legislator and the co-president of LI Clean Air Water who lives in the Town of Hempstead, has also been working to establish a public water authority.
Denenberg pointed out that having a public water authority protects communities from predatory behavior by water companies. He even went so far as to allege the reason that the North Shore only saw a 13 percent increase as opposed to the 42 percent increase in Hempstead was thanks to the presence of the nascent water authority.
“You can see what happens when there’s a public acquisition,” Denenberg said. “The North Shore and Massapequa (Water Authorities) are taking all necessary steps towards a public acquisition.”
- Additional reporting by Jordan Vallone
