Press Release

PUC Reminds Consumers of August Public Input Hearings for Proposed Rate Increases by Aqua Pennsylvania and Aqua Pennsylvania Wastewater Totaling $126.7 Million

Published on 7/25/2024

Filed under: Water and Wastewater

In-Person and Telephonic Hearings Allow Customers to Offer Input on Impact of the Proposed Rate Increases

HARRISBURG – The Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission (PUC) today reminded consumers and other concerned parties about a series of hearings in early August to gather public input on the rate increases proposed by Aqua Pennsylvania Inc. (Aqua Water) and Aqua Pennsylvania Wastewater Inc. (Aqua Wastewater).

Aqua Water proposes to increase its annual operating revenues for water services by approximately $112 million (18.7%).  Aqua Wastewater seeks a corresponding increase in its annual operating revenues for wastewater services by $14.6 million (20.1%).  In total, the proposed rate increase requests would increase the company’s total annual operating revenues by approximately $126.7 million.

PUC Public Input Hearings

In-person hearings have been scheduled for the following dates and locations:

• Thursday, August 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, August 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, August 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

Additionally, telephonic public input hearings have been scheduled for the following date and times:

• Wednesday, August 14
  Hearing #1 will begin at 1 p.m.
  Hearing #2 will begin at 6 p.m.

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.

Pre-Registering for the Telephonic Input Hearings            

If you wish to testify at one of the telephonic public input hearings, you are encouraged to pre-register by 4 p.m. on Tuesday, August 13, 2024. Failure to pre-register could result in you not being called to testify by the PUC judge.

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.
  
  

Assistance with Pre-Registration

If you need assistance pre-registering to testify, you may have someone register for you, but they will need to provide the PUC Judge 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 by providing the PUC Judge’s Legal Assistant with the above-listed information for each individual who wishes to testify.

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 for an interpreter. 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: 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.
  
  

Aqua PA Rate Increase Requests

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.  The average monthly bill for a residential wastewater customer would increase $14.92 (18.4%) from $81.18 to $96.10. A final PUC decision on both rate increase requests is due by February 22, 2025.

Aqua Water provides water service to approximately 445,000 customers in portions of more than 200 municipalities throughout 32 Pennsylvania counties.  Aqua Wastewater provides wastewater service to approximately 56,000 customers in portions of more than 40 municipalities throughout 16 Pennsylvania counties.

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 puc.pa.gov for recent news releases and video of select proceedings. You can also follow us on X (formerly 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-2024-3047822 (Water)
R-2024-3047824 (Wastewater)

Contact:

• Nils Hagen-Frederiksen
  Press Secretary
  717-418-2701
  nhagen-fre@pa.gov