Study urges changes to Baltimore County water, sewer billing as condo owners challenge fees

Baltimore County’s utility billing system is outdated and fraught with inconsistencies that risk charging ratepayers inequitable water and sewer costs, according to an engineering consultant report that recommends wholesale changes to the county’s service charges. In the draft report, which has not been made publicly available, consultants said the county should scrap its fee structure — unique when compared to a half-dozen other utilities — and reclassify certain properties, like churches and trailer parks, to align its billing system with industry standards. The billing practices have led almost 200 Pikesville condominium owners to challenge how Baltimore County sets the price of their utilities, saying that they’ve been collectively overcharged by millions of dollars for sewer service due to decades-old rules that don’t calculate how much water condominium owners or homeowners’ associations actually consume.