Plumstead Moving To Consumption-Based Water Billing

PLUMSTEAD TOWNSHIP, PA — At its December meeting, the Plumstead Township Board of Supervisors voted to restructure water billing from a flat-fee-based system to a consumption-based system.

Under the current flat-fee structure, customers are charged a minimum fee for 5,000 gallons, with additional tiers for higher usage. The new consumption-based structure will reduce the minimum charge to 1,000 gallons and will include meter fees.

"This approach provides a more equitable billing method — lower-usage customers generally pay less — while promoting water conservation," said the supervisors.

The new billing structure is expected to take effect with the 2026 second quarter water bills.

Under the Pennsylvania Second Class Township Code, the Plumstead Water Fund operates as a proprietary, or “enterprise” fund. It is a type of fund used to account for operations that are financed through user fees, not taxes. Only customers of the Plumstead Township Water Department are billed for water use.

The rates will be incorporated into the 2026 township fee schedule, which will be adopted at the Board of Supervisors’ annual reorganization meeting on Monday, January 5, beginning at 7 p.m. at the Plumstead Township building, 5186 Stump Rd., Plumsteadville.