Thursday, October 1, 2026
Town of Hempstead Supervisor John Ferretti is calling on state regulators to reject Liberty New York Water’s proposed rate increases, arguing that the hikes would place an undue burden on Long Island residents already struggling with rising costs.
Standing outside Liberty Utilities headquarters on June 12, Ferretti criticized the company’s request to increase revenues by approximately 21.87 percent in Service Area 1 and 30.14 percent in Service Area 2, according to filings with the New York State Public Service Commission.
Service Area 1 includes communities such as Valley Stream, Baldwin, Oceanside, Lynbrook, East Rockaway, Malverne and Island Park. Service Area 2 includes the Merrick and Sea Cliff districts, with the Merrick district serving Merrick, Bellmore, Wantagh and Seaford.
“At a time when families are already paying more for groceries, housing, energy and virtually every other necessity, Liberty Utilities wants to reach even deeper into the pockets of hardworking residents,” Ferretti said. “These proposed increases are staggering, and I am deeply concerned about the impact they will have on seniors living on fixed incomes, hardworking families and small business owners throughout our community.”
The proposal also includes a request for an additional surcharge that would further increase customer bills, according to the town.
“Long Island families are being squeezed from every direction by inflation and rising utility costs, and now Liberty Utilities wants to pile on even more,” Councilwoman Laura Ryder said. “The proposed rate hikes are excessive and tone-deaf to the financial realities facing our residents. I fully support Supervisor Ferretti’s efforts to fight this proposal and ensure that ratepayers are not treated like an endless source of revenue.”
Ferretti said he supports investments in water infrastructure and quality improvements but questioned the size of the proposed increases.
“No one disputes the need for infrastructure improvements and water quality investments,” he said. “However, residents deserve transparency, accountability and respect for the ratepayers who are coping with increased costs and other threats to affordability.”
The supervisor urged the Public Service Commission to reject the proposal, arguing that utilities should be mindful of affordability concerns as local governments seek to control taxes and spending.
Liberty New York Water said the requested rates would help maintain safe and reliable service while supporting infrastructure improvements and customer programs.
“We understand the importance of balancing system safety and reliability with customer affordability,” Deborah Franco, president of Liberty New York Water, said in a statement provided by regional communications manager Pamela Bellings. “Our proposed investments represent what is necessary to maintain and improve our system, and we remain committed to managing expenses responsibly while continuing to provide safe, reliable service.”
The utility said the proposed increase for an average residential customer using 8,000 gallons of water per month would be $27.77 in the Lynbrook system, $26.89 in the Sea Cliff system and $21.20 in the Merrick system.
Liberty said the rate request would support projects including iron-removal treatment, PFAS/PFOA treatment, lead service line replacement and water main replacements. The company also proposed expanding its arrearage management program and eliminating electronic payment transaction fees.
The utility said the filing also reflects customer benefits associated with PFAS/PFOA settlement proceeds and property tax savings achieved through negotiations and tax appeal efforts.
The proposed rate increases remain subject to review and approval by the Public Service Commission, which will hold public hearings and accept public comment before making a final decision.
