Rate Update - Residential - New York Water - Liberty
Investing in our community
Liberty invests in infrastructure to maintain water quality and provide safe, reliable water service to our customers now and for generations to come.
Recent ProjectsLiberty’s Water System
Liberty operates and maintains a complex water system to provide safe, reliable water service to customers when they need it. This system includes:
- More than 1,200 miles of pipeline
- 100 wells
- 27 million gallons of water pumped per day on average
Building for the future
Liberty diligently maintains its water system to protect service for current and future generations. Deferring maintenance can undermine the reliability of the system over time.
Rate Request
- Liberty filed a rate request on May 29, 2026, with the New York Public Service Commission (PSC). The requested increase for an average residential customer in the areas of Long Island served by Liberty using 8,000 gallons of water per month would be $27.77, $26.89, and $21.20 in the Lynbrook, Sea Cliff, and Merrick systems respectively.
- The request is necessary to cover operations and infrastructure investments, including water main replacements, emerging contaminant treatment, and replacement of lead service lines. These proposed investments are detailed in the application and are available for public review here.
Projects Proposed in the Rate Request
- Iron removal treatment
- PFAS/PFOA treatment
- Replacement of lead service lines
- Main replacements
Learn more about our investments in the system.
New Customer Programs in the Rate Request
- Enhanced Arrearage Management Program (AMP) to provide partial forgiveness to all eligible customers, rather than only income-eligible customers
- Elimination of electronic payment transaction fees
Links to PSC documents:
Frequently Asked Questions
The New York State Public Service Commission (PSC) is ultimately responsible for establishing and approving the rates customers pay. Liberty provides the PSC with full transparency into the company’s financials, which indicate the overall costs for providing water service as well as the amount needed to invest in the system in the coming years. Liberty pledges to do our part to seek a new rate plan that balances the need for investment while keeping customer rates as low as possible.
The main reason Liberty customers’ water bills are higher than others is due to the taxes Liberty is required to collect on behalf of other entities.
As a privately-owned investor utility company, Liberty is subject to many taxes, including property taxes and a Special Franchise Tax (SFT), that municipally owned water systems are not required to pay. These taxes imposed on Liberty and recovered through customers’ rates go to local jurisdictions to support many municipal services, such as schools, emergency services, highways, etc. Furthermore, a significant portion of the system investments made by municipal water suppliers are supported by grant programs, which can fund up to 60 percent of each project.
As a company, we strongly oppose the tax rate that we are required to collect from customers in the form of Special Franchise Taxes (SFT). Liberty continues to meet with elected officials to explore the possibilities of having the SFT reduced or eliminated altogether. In addition, the Company is working to secure eligibility for State grant funding that only municipal water suppliers currently have access to. As with the SFT, we continue to advocate with our State representatives to change the State law that would allow us to apply for infrastructure improvement grants you, as a Liberty water customer, are helping to fund.
The True Cost of Water – Advocating for Rate Relief
Keeping your water service affordable is at the forefront of our approach. The new proposed rate structure represents the true cost of providing quality water service. As a privately owned utility company, Liberty is required to collect a series of taxes that go to local jurisdictions to support many municipal services, such as schools, emergency services, highways, etc. Furthermore, a significant portion of the system investments made by municipal water suppliers are supported by grant programs, which can fund up to 60 percent of each project.
As a company, we strongly oppose the tax rate that we are required to collect from customers in the form of Special Franchise Taxes (SFT). The SFT makes up approximately 25 percent of each customer’s bill. The collection of this tax provides zero benefit to the Liberty water system. Liberty continues to meet with elected officials to explore the possibilities of having the SFT reduced or eliminated altogether. In addition, the company is working to secure eligibility for State grant funding that only municipal water suppliers currently have access to. As with the SFT, we continue to advocate with our State representatives to change the State law that would allow us to apply for infrastructure improvement grants you, as a Liberty water customer, are helping to fund.
Click below to view an infographic demonstrating how every dollar you spend towards your water is allocated.
Click here to read about the support Liberty is getting to eliminate the Special Franchise Tax.
Have Questions?
Contact us Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. by calling 877-426-6999 or fill out our contact form.