Press Release
PUC Reminds Consumers of Public Input Hearings for Water and Wastewater Rate Increase Sought by Veolia Water Pennsylvania
Published on 4/15/2024
Filed under: Water and Wastewater
In-Person Hearings in Bloomsburg and Harrisburg Along with Ability to Participate Via Telephone Provide Opportunities to Gather Input from Customers and Other Concerned Parties
HARRISBURG – The Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission (PUC) today reminded consumers and other concerned parties about upcoming in-person and telephonic hearings to gather public input on the rate increase request filed by Veolia Water Pennsylvania to increase annual revenue by $15.5 million (26.4%) for water services and $569,000 (34.8%) for wastewater services.
Veolia serves 69,800 water customers along with 1,600 wastewater customers in 11 counties across Pennsylvania.
PUC Public Input Hearings
An in-person public input hearing has been scheduled for the following:
Monday, April 29, 2024 – Bloomsburg, Columbia County
The hearing will begin at 6 p.m.
Central Susquehanna Opportunities Building
160 W. 6th St.
Bloomsburg, PA 18715
A pair of combined in-person and telephonic input hearings have been scheduled for the following:
Tuesday, April 30, 2024 – Harrisburg, Dauphin County
Hearing #1 will begin at 1 p.m.
Hearing #2 will begin at 6 p.m.
Commonwealth Keystone Building (State Capitol Complex)
PUC Hearing Room #1
400 North St.
Harrisburg, PA 17120
PUC Administrative Law Judge Emily DeVoe will preside over the public input hearings.
Participating in the Public Input Hearings
If you wish to testify at the in-person public input hearings in Bloomsburg or Harrisburg, no pre-registration is required. There will be sign-up sheets at all the in-person hearings.
If you wish to testify by telephone at either of the hearings on April 30 you are strongly encouraged to pre-register with the PUC Office of Administrative Law Judge to ensure you are identified as a witness and the judge will be able to call you to testify during the hearings.
To pre-register, contact the judge’s legal assistant, Mary Swarner, by phone at 412-565-3555 or by email at mswarner@pa.gov and provide the following:
- Your first and last name.
- The time of the public input hearing at which you wish to testify (1 p.m. or 6 p.m.).
- The phone number you will be using to call into the hearing.
- Your address.
- Your email address (if you have one).
- Whether you require an interpreter to participate in the hearing, and if so the language of the interpreter.
- Whether you consent to have your testimony included as part of the live stream of the hearings.
Watching or Listening to the Hearings
All three in-person input hearings are open to the public. Additionally, the PUC will be live streaming the two Harrisburg public input hearings on the PUC website: https://www.puc.pa.gov/live-streaming/
To participate in the telephonic hearings, use the following information to access the conference bridge:
- Dial the toll-free Conference number – 888-547-8922.
- Enter the PIN number when instructed - 74903461.
- Speak your name when prompted, and press #.
- The telephone system will then connect you to the hearing.
Hearing Exhibits
If you have any hearing exhibits to which you will refer during the hearing, please email them to the judge at edevoe@pa.gov. She will forward your exhibits to all the parties. Exhibits for the public input hearings on April 29 and 30 must be received by the judge by Friday, April 26, 2024.
Requests for Interpreters
If you require an interpreter to participate in the hearing, please pre-register as soon as possible. Every reasonable effort will be made to have an interpreter present. If you register too close to the hearing date, there may not be enough time to arrange for an interpreter.
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.
Veolia Rate Increase Request
Under the proposals filed with the PUC by Veolia, the average monthly bill for a residential water customer using 3,500 gallons of water per month would increase from $49.64 to $60.79 (22%). For Veolia wastewater customers, the average monthly bill for a residential customer would increase from a flat rate of $56.20 to $77.00 (37%).
A final decision by the PUC on the rate increase requests is due by November 16, 2024.
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 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.
# # #
Docket Nos.:
R-2024-3045192
R-2024-3045193
Contact:
-
Nils Hagen-Frederiksen
Press Secretary
717-418-2701
nhagen-fre@pa.gov
Complaints
Learn how to submit a complaint with a public utility. You can also search existing formal complaints.
Get DetailsSubscribe to Press Releases
Keep track of PUC news and activities with press releases delivered straight to your email inbox.
SubscribeNeed More Help?
If you can't find what you're looking for here, please contact the PA Public Utility Commission. Call us at 1-800-692-7380 or contact us online.
Document Search
Public utility documents available electronically include case dockets, public meeting orders and more.
Filing & Resources
Find utility-related reports, laws and regulations, federal filings, tariffs, procedures and more.
eFILING
Consumers, utilities and attorneys can save time by submitting documents to the PUC electronically.