A dramatic increase in water rates has forced some Bel Air families to start timing their showers and think twice about how long they wash dishes. Adriana Bruzzese, who lives in the Greenridge neighborhood of Bel Air, is one resident who has been critical of Maryland Water Service Inc., which has increased water rates in the neighborhood by 81% over the last year.

Bruzzese and Christine Stevenson have been leading the community to push back at the third-party private water company since 2022 when the company implemented the first of what residents believed were three rate increases.

Stevenson and Bruzzese said they were told that the three increases were part of a larger rate hike to be phased in over three years. The first increase in April 2022 increased the average residential bill from $58.28 to $70.18 per month, per Maryland Water Service Inc. documents.

The second increase, in 2023, increased the average bill from $78.18 to $82.09 per month. The third, last year, increased the average bill from $82.09 to $93.99 per month.

However, Bruzzese’s January water bill from Maryland Water Service Inc. contained what she said was a fourth increase, from $108 in December, to $190.05, a jump of $82. Other residents reportedly faced similar rate increases in January. Bruzzese and Stevenson later found out that the fourth, most recent increase stemmed from an application Maryland Water Service Inc. filed with the Maryland Public Service Commission in May   requesting approval of a fourth rate increase that residents claim they were not informed about.

Bruzzese and Stevenson created a petition through Change.org that asks, “the powers that be to either reduce these exorbitant water rates to affordable levels or change the water supplier for the Greenridge, Bel Air neighborhood.” As of Tuesday, the petition had more than 300 signatures.

“They increased our rates and yes, it was annoying, but we were made to think that the rate would stabilize but [Maryland Water Service Inc.] got greedy and took advantage of us and increased our rate 81% overnight without telling us,” Bruzzese said. “We are very upset about this.”

When she, her husband and two sons moved to the neighborhood in 2017, Bruzzese said her water bill was about $30 to $45 per month, with higher bills coming in the summertime. Now, the water rates have reached a point that Bruzzese and her family are finding themselves rationing water usage by doing things such as setting a timer when they take showers.

“Even the way I wash dishes is different now,” Bruzzese said. “I wait until I absolutely have to do the dishes, and I do them rapidly to ensure I do not waste water because water usage is a constant conversation in my house because of how much we are being charged for it.”

The Greenridge neighborhood is not part of the Town of Bel Air which is serviced by Maryland American Water, which, according to Bel Air’s Mayor Paula Etting, charges residents anywhere from $30 to $80 per month depending on their usage. Residents on county water are billed quarterly and pay $5.93 per 1,000 gallons — $0.06 more than what Bruzzese said Greenridge residents were charged per 1,000 gallons in 2017.

According to Harford County, the average person uses 5,000 to 7,000 gallons per billing period. For the average household on county water, quarterly bills are between $100 and $250 — or $25 to $70 a month.

Bruzzese and Stevenson — like many residents of the neighborhood — also find themselves paying thousands per year for bottled water and to fix plumbing issues they say are related to the poor quality of water provided by Maryland Water Service Inc. The company did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Stevenson, who said her bill increased by $60 in the past month, installed a water softener and a neutralization system to combat the amount of chlorine in the water. She said despite the additional water treatment, she still has to replace her hot water heater, pipe fittings and plumbing infrastructure on a semi-regular basis due to the impurities in the water.

“We are on our fifth hot water heater, which is crazy because they should last 10 to 15 years,” Stevenson said. “Not only are we paying a high water bill, but we are paying plumbing bills to fix our systems and for the companies to come out and service us. Then on top of that, we have additional bills because what the system didn’t take care of is breaking down our appliances.”

Bruzzese said she has specialists come to her home regularly to “super shock” her system to prevent the water from leaving a blue tint in areas like her shower.

Both families avoid drinking the water and have bottled water like many of their neighbors.

“My pets don’t even drink the water,” Stevenson said.

Bruzzese and Stevenson and other residents said they have contacted the Maryland Public Service Commission, which regulates Maryland Water Service Inc. Each time, Bruzzese and Stevenson say they receive emails telling them their complaint has been received and that it is being evaluated by the commission.

“It truly feels like that instead of a necessity, they are charging us as if it is a luxury item,” Bruzzese said.

With their petition, Bruzzese and Stevenson hope to gain the support of local officials to advocate for lower rates.

County Executive Bob Cassilly said Tuesday he is working on a letter on behalf of the Greenridge residents to submit to the state.

“An 80% increase in one year is a huge burden on residents and it is very difficult for me to understand the real need for such a major increase,” Cassilly said.

Have a news tip? Contact Matt Hubbard at mhubbard@baltsun.com, 443-651-0101 or @mthubb on X.