Press Release
PUC Schedules November Public Input Hearings for Rate Increases Proposed by Aqua Pennsylvania and Aqua Pennsylvania Wastewater
Published on 10/21/2021
Filed under: Water and Wastewater
Registration Deadline is November 5 for Telephonic Hearings for Customers & Other Concerned Parties to Testify About Rate Case Impact
HARRISBURG – The Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission (PUC) today scheduled a series of telephonic hearings in early and mid-November to gather public input on rate changes for water and wastewater service proposed by Aqua Pennsylvania Inc. (Aqua Water) and Aqua Pennsylvania Wastewater Inc. (Aqua Wastewater).
Aqua Water provides water service to approximately 434,264 customers in portions of more than 200 municipalities throughout 32 Pennsylvania counties. Aqua Wastewater provides wastewater service to approximately 40,284 customers in portions of more than 40 municipalities throughout 15 Pennsylvania counties. Collectively, the two companies serve nearly 1.5 million people throughout the Commonwealth.
The deadline to sign up for the public input hearings is Friday, Nov. 5, 2021, at 4 p.m.
PUC Public Input Hearings
The telephonic hearing to gather public input on the Aqua water and wastewater rate increase requests are scheduled for the following dates and times:
- Monday, Nov. 8, 2021 – Hearing will begin at 6 p.m.
- Tuesday, Nov. 9, 2021 – Hearings will begin at 1 p.m. and 6 p.m.
- Wednesday, Nov. 10, 2021 – Hearings will begin at 1 p.m. and 6 p.m.
- Friday, Nov. 12, 2021 – Hearing will begin at 1 p.m.
PUC Administrative Law Judge Mary D. Long will preside over the hearings.
Signing Up for the Public Input Hearings
If you wish to testify at one of the telephonic public input hearings please pre-register by 4 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 5, 2021. If you do not pre-register and provide the information listed below, you may not be able to testify. Individuals will testify in the order in which they pre-register. You may pre-register by email or by phone.
Registering by Email
To pre-register by email, please email Judge Long’s legal assistant, Daniela Alban at dalban@pa.gov, and provide the following information:
- Your first and last name.
- The date and time of the hearing at which you wish to testify.
- The phone number you will be using to call into the public input hearing.
- If you require an interpreter to participate in the hearing, the language of the interpreter.
Registering by Telephone
To pre-register by phone, please call Judge Long’s office at 412-565-3550 and leave a message providing the following:
- Your first and last name.
- The date and time of the hearing at which you wish to testify.
- 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.
- If you require an interpreter to participate in the hearing, the language of the interpreter.
If you need assistance pre-registering to testify, you may have someone register for you, but they will need to provide us all the information listed above. Additionally, if more than one person in your household would like to testify, one person may pre-register for other individuals in the same household, but we will need the information for each individual.
If you require an interpreter to participate in the hearings, the PUC will make every reasonable effort to have an interpreter present. Please pre-register and make your request for an interpreter as soon as possible. AT&T Relay Service number for persons who are deaf or hearing-impaired is 1-800-654-5988.
If you intend to offer any exhibits at the public input hearing, you must email your proposed exhibit(s) to Judge Long at malong@pa.gov by Friday, November 5, 2021. In your email to Judge Long you must copy all individuals listed in the full-service list included at the end of the hearing notice. Failure to comply with these instructions may result in you not being allowed to present your proposed exhibit(s). Proposed video evidence must be submitted in an mp4 format and cannot exceed 2MB. Proposed video evidence that does not meet this criteria will not be permitted.
Listening to the Hearings
If you do not wish to testify but want to listen to the public input hearing(s), please contact Judge Long’s office by email at dalban@pa.gov or phone at 412-565-3550 and provide your name and the hearing(s) you want to listen to so we can ensure we have adequate caller capacity on the conference bridge to accommodate all callers.
The sign-up deadline for these public input hearings is Friday, Nov. 5, 2021, at 4 p.m.
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.
Aqua Water and Wastewater Rate Increase Requests
Aqua Water proposes to increase its annual operating revenues for water services by approximately $86.118 million (16.9%). Aqua Wastewater seeks a corresponding increase in its annual operating revenues for wastewater services by $11.566 million (31.2%). The total annual revenue increase request amounts to approximately $97.684 million (17.86%).
Under the proposals, the average monthly bill for a residential water customer using 4,000 gallons per month would increase by $11.97 (17.3%), from $69.35 to $81.32. The average monthly bill for a residential wastewater customer would increase $18.44 (33.2%) from $55.51 to $73.95.
About the PUC
The Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission balances the needs of consumers and utilities; ensures safe and reliable utility service at reasonable rates; protects the public interest; educates consumers to make independent and informed utility choices; furthers economic development; and fosters new technologies and competitive markets in an environmentally sound manner.
Visit the PUC’s website at www.puc.pa.gov for recent news releases and video of select proceedings. You can also follow us on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram and YouTube. Search for the “Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission” or “PA PUC” on your favorite social media channel for updates on utility issues and other helpful consumer information.
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Docket Nos.:
R-2021-3027385
C-2021-3028466
C-2021-3028509
R-2021-3027386
C-2021-3028467
C-2021-3028511
Contact:
-
Nils Hagen-Frederiksen
Press Secretary
717-418-2701
nhagen-fre@pa.gov
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