The Croton Reservoir from maisa_nyc on Flickr

A 12.9 percent increase in the water rate for the average household in Queens: $83.

One billion gallons of water through the New York City sewer system every day: priceless.

The presentation from the Department of Environmental Protection about a proposed increase on water bills was less of a sales pitch and more of an itemized receipt for Queens residents. Those who came to a community meeting in Jamaica on Tuesday night ready to oppose the citywide hike were met by itemized details of where billions of dollars in funding have been going.

“Your water rates have funded $13 billion in capital construction,” said DEP Commissioner Cas Holloway. “New York City’s water quality is fantastic, and we want it to stay that way.”

From nearly $5 billion for federally-mandated filtration plants to $5 billion for the ongoing efforts to build City Water Tunnel No. 3, projects to update the city’s sewer system have been on a debt system. Rate increases will help shoulder the burden of interest rates for past and future projects.Around $571 million alone was spent on infrastructure in Queens, Holloway added. “That is more than any other borough, and it’s still not going to get the job done,” he said.

In Jamaica, where flooding has been a chronic problem for decades, Holloway’s message about investments was particularly welcome. The DEP is conducting a new water flow study in the neighborhood in the hopes that a year of data will help the agency make changes to the system.

A video (shown below) of flooding after an August 2007 rainstorm highlights what residents say is a catastrophic problem in their neighborhood.

City Councilman James Gennaro fielded concerns about property flooding.

A resident at Hollis Courts pleaded for help for the rent-stabilized buildings. Her landlord has failed to pay bills for five years, she said, and the DEP refuses to fix sewage backups without a request from the owner.

“Water is coming into my building but nobody is paying for it,” Mays said, urging Gennaro and Holloway to find a solution for delinquent landlords who drive up costs. Holloway, who took the reigns of the DEP in January, has been making these town hall-style meetings something of a trademark. Despite arriving nearly two hours late, the commissioner had some in the audience gushing after his presentation.

“People don’t realize how lucky we are, this is the greatest system on earth,” said Sam Rodriguez, of Queens. “I don’t mind the increase – and don’t get me wrong, I’m on fixed income.”

The proposal will be reviewed by the Water Board after hearings in the coming months. The DEP’s next stop is in Staten Island on May 6 at Wagner High School at 8 p.m.. Hearings on the water rate increase will be help at the Thomas Edison High School in Jamaica on May 11 at 7 p.m.