We are planning for needed upgrades to our infrastructure over the next three years. Some of the improvements you will see include:

• Substantial production plant upgrades in Hewlett and Merrick service territories to improve pressure during peak irrigation season.
• Rehabilitation, and in some cases, replacement of aging wells and pumps.
• Continue replacement of mains, hydrants, valves, and service lines that have reached their useful lifespan.
• Ongoing meter upgrades to provide real-time data to customers.
• Upgrades and installation of treatment systems to continue to meet existing state and federal water quality regulations, as well as emerging standards.

Stay tuned for details – we will share projects as they are planned. 

Stay tuned as we finalize new programs and incentives to help you conserve water. For questions reach out via email at conservation@libertyutilities.com.

Outdoor-Focused Water Surveys

You’ll be able to hop on a virtual call and get a free water survey to help you water your lawn more efficiently and cost-effectively.

Irrigation System Incentives

Incentives for customers who purchase select irrigation equipment upgrades, including weather-based irrigation controllers, rotating sprinkler nozzles, drip irrigation kits, and rain barrels.

High-Use Customer Water Audits

Easy virtual audits of indoor water use will help customers with unusually high-water use discover why and where this water is coming from.

Retrofit Conservation Kits

Need a water-efficient shower head, hose nozzle, or aerator? We’ve got you covered with free kits to help you conserve. We also have leak-detection tabs to help you detect leaks before they wreak havoc.

Income Eligible Water Conservation

Qualifying customers can receive leak audits and subsidized toilet replacements up to $350.

Conservation Education

It’s never too late to learn and we love to teach about water conservation. We visit schools and community groups to educate children and adults on best practices. We can all work together to ensure we have enough water for everyone for many future generations.

We’re Here to Help

If you are struggling to pay your water bill, we have new programs designed to help get you back on track.

Customer Assistance Program (CAP)

Income-eligible customers may receive a discount on their bill, that covers the cost of their monthly customer fee. Customers previously enrolled in New York’s Low Income Household Water Assistance Program (LIHWAP) will automatically be enrolled in CAP. Customers who are receiving any type of public or financial assistance can apply for this program by filling out an application and providing proof of assistance. Please see acceptable types of assistance below.

The discounts are based on your meter size and are effective for 1 year from initiation. Customers must re-enroll by providing proof of eligibility on a yearly basis.

Arrearage Management Program (AMP)

Low-income customers who meet eligibility criteria are now able to receive arrears forgiveness. Customers who are enrolled in CAP, have a past due balance greater than $300, enroll in budget billing, and make on-time payments will receive a $100 relief credit that is applied to their arrears monthly. Budget billing will take an average of your usage over 12 months, and evenly bill you over 12 months.

Customers can remain in this program until all of their arrears are paid off but must make all monthly payments. One missed payment will remove the plan from the account, and the customer will no longer be eligible for the program. Low-income customers enrolled in CAP will automatically be enrolled in the AMP and Budget Billing.

Customers receiving any of the following support services are eligible for these programs:

Supplemental Security Income; Temporary Assistance to Needy Persons/Families; Safety Net Assistance; Medicaid; the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program; Federal Public Housing Assistance; Veterans Pension and Survivors Benefit programs; the federal lifeline program; Bureau of Indian Affairs General Assistance; Tribal Head Start; Tribal Temporary Assistance to Needy Families; Food Distribution Program on Indian Veterans Disability or Survivors Pension; Federal Public Housing Assistance; Child Health Plus; all of the Tribal Specific programs; or have received a HEAP benefit in the preceding 12 months.

Click the link below to see what the current rates are. 

View Water Rates

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.

Municipal government taxes make up approximately 28% of Liberty customers’ water bills, depending on the community. Liberty’s rates, once taxes are removed, represent the true cost of supplying water service.

Click the image below to view an infographic demonstrating how every dollar you spend towards your water is allocated. 

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.