Public hearings scheduled for customers to share feedback on Aqua's proposed price increases

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) — The Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission will have several meetings to gather public input on the rate increases proposed by Aqua Pennsylvania Inc. (Aqua Water) and Aqua Pennsylvania Wastewater Inc.

The meetings will allow customers to share how rate increases proposed by the companies would affect them.

Under the proposals, the average monthly bill for a residential water customer using 3,870 gallons per month would increase by $16.10 (19.9%) from $80.91 to $97.01. According to the commission, the average monthly bill for a residential wastewater customer would increase by $14.92 (18.4%) from $81.18 to $96.10.

Aqua Water proposes to raise its annual revenues for water services by $112 million — an 18.7% increase — and Aqua Wastewater seeks to increase its revenue for wastewater services by $14.6 million, a 20.1% bump.

The meeting schedule is:

• Thursday, Aug. 1 - Luzerne County

Hearing #1 will begin at 1 p.m.
Hearing #2 will begin at 6 p.m.
Comfort Inn West Hazleton
58 State Route 93
Hazleton, PA 18202

• Monday, Aug. 5 – Montgomery County

Hearing #1 will begin at 1 p.m.
Hearing #2 will begin at 6 p.m.
Curtis Hall Arboretum
1250 West Church Road
Wyncote, PA  19095

• Wednesday, Aug. 7 – Delaware County
  

Hearing #1 will begin at 1 p.m.
Hearing #2 will begin at 6 p.m.
Delaware County Community College
STEM Building – Room #1403 (Auditorium)
901 S. Media Line Road
Media, PA  19063

• Thursday, August 8 – Chester County

Hearing will begin at 1 p.m.
New Garden Township Municipal Building
299 Starr Road
Landenberg, PA  19350

• Monday, August 12 – Montgomery County

Hearing #1 will begin at 1 p.m.
Hearing #2 will begin at 6 p.m.
Spring-Ford Area High School (Auditorium)
350 S. Lewis Road
Royersford, PA  19468

Phone meetings will also happen on Aug. 14 at 1 p.m. and 6 p.m. If you wish to testify at one of the telephonic public input hearings, you are encouraged to pre-register by 4 p.m. on Aug. 13. If you don't register in advance, you might not be called by the judge to testify.

Administrative Law Judge Gail M. Chiodo and/or Administrative Law Judge Alphonso Arnold III will preside over the various in-person and telephonic public input hearings.

To pre-register, you can email the PUC Judge's Legal Assistant, Christina M. Biggica, at cbiggica@pa.gov, or call the judge's office at 717-787-1191 and provide the following information:

• Your first and last name.
• The phone number you will be using to call into the public input hearing.
• A phone number where you can be reached prior to the hearing if we need to contact you.
• Your email address, if you have one.

Hearing Exhibits

If you have any hearing exhibits to which you will refer during the hearing, please email them to the Presiding Officers, Gail Chiodo and Alphonso Arnold III, at gchiodo@pa.gov and alphonarno@pa.gov. The PUC Judge will forward your exhibits to all the parties. Exhibits for the public input hearing must be received by the PUC Judge by 4 p.m. on Tuesday, August 13, 2024.

Requests for Interpreters

If you require an interpreter, please pre-register as soon as possible. If you register too close to the hearing date, there may not be enough time to arrange one. If you request an interpreter, the PUC will make reasonable efforts to have one present. The Relay Service number for persons who are deaf or hearing-impaired is 1-800-654-5988.

Offering Testimony at a Public Input Hearing

The PUC offers tips on how to participate in a public input hearing, including:

• Prepare what you are going to say beforehand. Even though it is not required, you may want to write out your statement, which can be read.
• Any formal testimony that is offered during the hearing will become part of the record on which the PUC will issue its final decision.
• Understand that parties in the case may want to ask you a question to clarify something you said.