City Council Member Phil Wong has strongly urged the NYC Water Board and Department of Environmental Protection to stop the controversial “rental payment” practice that diverts funds from water and sewer bills into the city’s general budget. In a letter addressed to Water Board Chair Arlene M. Shaw and DEP Commissioner Lisa F. Garcia, Wong argued that the payments effectively function as a hidden tax on New Yorkers. He stated that money collected from residents for water services should be used exclusively for infrastructure maintenance and improvements, not to help cover the city’s broader fiscal needs. He warned that diverting these funds threatens the long-term health of the city’s aging water and sewer systems, especially amid growing challenges with stormwater management and infrastructure resiliency. Wong called on the Water Board and DEP to dedicate all water and sewer revenues solely to the operation, maintenance, and upgrading of the system.