A Bloomington-based water utility plans to hike monthly bills by about 46%. Here’s what you need to know and how you can provide feedback.
What’s the utility that wants to hike rates?
The utility is Southern Monroe Water, based on Fairfax Road in Bloomington.
How many customers does Southern Monroe Water have?
According to the Office of Utility Consumer Counselor, a state-funded consumer advocate, the utility has about 3,500 residential customers in Monroe County.
What rate hike is Southern Monroe Water requesting?
Southern Monroe has asked the Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission to be allowed to increase its monthly rates for a residential customer using 4,000 gallons to $45.68. That would be an increase of $14.28 or 45.5% from current rates.
The OUCC said current rates were approved in 2011, although they have since “been adjusted to account for changes in wholesale water costs.”
Why is Southern Monroe requesting the hike?
The OUCC said in a news release that the utility wants to raise its rates “due to higher operating and maintenance costs, the need for infrastructure repairs and replacements including new meters, and compliance with federal lead and copper rules.”
Leaders of the utility did not reply to a phone message Friday.
How can customers provide input?
Customers can provide written comments via the form on the OUCC website, in.gov/oucc/2361.htm, or by sending mail to: Public Comments, Indiana Office of Utility Consumer Counselor (OUCC), 115 W. Washington St., Suite 1500 SOUTH, Indianapolis, IN 46204.
The OUCC said “comments will be included in the formal case record for IURC review. Comments should not contain sensitive or personal information as comments will become viewable and searchable online once posted to the IURC’s online case file. Consumers with questions about commenting can contact the OUCC’s consumer services staff at 1-888-441-2494.”
The OUCC said comments “should include the consumer’s name, city, and zip code and a reference to either IURC Cause No. 46245-U or Southern Monroe Water.”
What’s the deadline for public comments?
The OUCC said it needs to receive all written comments no later than Sept. 8.
Will there be a public hearing?
There could be a public hearing, but it’s not guaranteed.
The utility filed the rate hike request through the IURC’s Small Utility Filing Procedure, which is designed to reduce time and expense involved in such filings and is available for utilities with fewer than 8,000 customers.
The utility said in its filing that a public hearing “may be held if any public or municipal corporation, ten (10) individuals, firms, corporations or associations, or ten (10) complainants of all or any of these classes affected by the proposed rate change requests a formal public hearing.”
Where can you get more information?
Visit the OUCC website: tinyurl.com/3mejm534
Boris Ladwig can be reached at bladwig@heraldt.com.
This article originally appeared on The Herald-Times: Bloomington water utility requests nearly 46% rate hike. What you need to know.
Reporting by Boris Ladwig, The Herald-Times / The Herald-Times
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