This public hearing, held on September 3, 2026, at the Wayne K. Curry Administration Building in Largo, Maryland, was conducted by WSSC Water to receive public input on the proposed Capital Improvements Program (CIP) for fiscal years 2028 through 2033. The hearing was opened by Commissioner Lynnette D. Espy-Willaims (per the agenda) but the transcript shows Commissioner Regina Speedboss presiding; this discrepancy is noted. Commissioner Speedboss, representing Prince George’s County, welcomed attendees alongside General Manager and CEO Keisha L. Powell and other staff. The hearing featured presentations on outreach efforts, a detailed CIP overview, public testimony, and a report on written comments. No formal votes were taken; the record remained open through September 11, 2026.
Good evening. On behalf of WSSC Water and its staff, I welcome you to this public hearing on our draft proposed capital improvements program, also known as the CIP for fiscal years 2028 through 2033. I am Commissioner Regina Speedboss, representing Prince George's County. Joining me this evening is our general manager and CEO, Keisha L. Powell, and several other WSSC Water staff members. Before going further, I will ask our communications director, Chuck Brown, to brief us on the outreach efforts for tonight's hearing. Thank you, Commissioner Speedboss again, Chuck Brown, Director of Communications for WSSC Water. I'm pleased to highlight our extensive community outreach efforts to encourage public participation and promote transparency for tonight's public hearing. WSSC Water used a variety of methods to alert and inform our customers about tonight's hearing and last night's hearing in Montgomery County. A bilingual insert was placed in all customer bills starting in May and continuing through August. A public notice was printed in both the Prince George's County Post and the Washington Post in early August. We've been promoting these meetings heavily throughout all of our social media channels Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Blue Sky, and that includes paid advertising on Facebook and Instagram. On August 31st, we sent out notice of the hearing to our 4,342 constant contact subscribers. We also have a newsletter that we email out to about 10,430 customers. What are we up to? Where we provided information about tonight and last night's hearing. That goes out to stakeholders, media, and uh key elected officials about tonight's hearing and of course last night's hearing. Um elected officials, a letter was transmitted from General Manager Powell to all elected officials announcing both hearings prior to tonight's meeting. And with that, I'll turn it back over to you, Commissioner Speedboss. Thank you, Chuck. I will now ask CIP section manager Sunil Pendat Pendeya from our finance department and facility and design and construction section manager Claude Modese to provide a brief overview of the CIP. Uh Commissioner Speedboss, is it okay if I give some opening remarks? That is that is fine. Let's make we'll do that. GM Powell, would you like to make any remarks before we begin the presentation? Yes, ma'am. I'll just kick us off and then turn it over to the team to present the CIP. Um thank you again, Commissioner Speedboss, for being here and for offering me the opportunity uh to share some thoughts before the presentation. Tonight we're talking about a significant investment in the future of our region. 4.7 billion dollars over six years from fiscal year 2028 through fiscal year 2033, including 742.8 million in proposed capital investments in fiscal year 2028 alone. These investments are about much more than pipes, pumps, and treatment facilities. Infrastructure is the foundation of public health, environmental protection, and a strong economy. And the work we do today will help ensure that WSSC Water can continue providing safe, reliable water and wastewater services for generations to come. Our capital program is designed to deliver sustained and transformative change across the communities we serve. And that transformation creates tremendous opportunity, not just for WSSC water, but for Maryland businesses, workers, and the local communities where we invest. We know that every 1 million dollars invested in water infrastructure creates approximately 15 to 18 jobs. This is an economic impact comparable to investments in clean energy, health care, and defense. So when we invest in water, we are also investing in jobs, economic development, and opportunity. I was reminded of that recently at last week's Tap Into Business event, where we brought local businesses together to talk about how we can partner to maximize the opportunities created by our investments. That commitment to create opportunities is rooted in a simple but powerful belief, and that is WSSC Water is an anchor institution, and the work we perform serves as a building block to uplift our communities and businesses. In fact, over the past five years, our work has contributed $704 million to businesses in Prince George's and Montgomery counties, including more than $419 million with local minority and women-owned businesses. And with the recent passage of House Bill $1230, we have an opportunity to further modernize WSSC Water's business participation framework and strengthen opportunities for local and Maryland businesses and workers to benefit from the billions of dollars we invest in critical infrastructure. There is a tremendous amount of work ahead of us and a tremendous amount of opportunity. With that, I'll turn it over to my colleagues who will walk you through the details of our capital improvement program and the investments we are proposing to drive sustained and transformative change. Thank you. Thank you, General Manager Powell. For the record, my name is Sunil Pandier. I am the Capital Project Section Manager. This slide shows our service area. We highlight the location of our water filtration plans and water resource recover facilities on the map to the right.