Jun. 16--A THIRD and final public meeting will be at 3 p.m. today in City Council Chambers at the Morgantown Municipal Building to discuss MUB's construction plan; the focus is the environmental impact.

Water customers will pay the bulk of the cost of a $68 million construction plan proposed by the Morgantown Utility Board (MUB).

Combined water and sewer rates would go up by about 57 percent -- from $24.46 a month to $38.39 for 4,500 gallons -- starting in 2012, but at a public meeting held Monday to discuss the proposal, MUB officials said they treat less water than they provide.

"Where does this 57 percent increase come from?" asked Bill Rice, of Bakers Ridge Road. "Does it come from the freshwater side or the sewage side ?"

The construction plan includes both water and wastewater projects, but MUB General Manager Jim Green said water customers will see a larger increase because the majority of the cost -- about $40 million -- will go toward water projects.

Water projects include water treatment plant expansions, new water tanks in Wiles Hills and waterline improvements throughout Morgantown. Wastewater projects include Cobun Creek pump station upgrades and odor control, but no expansions.

Green said water rates will increase by 93.9 percent -- from $8.98 a month to $17.42 for 4,500 gallons, average usage according to the state's Public Service Commission (PSC). Sewer rates will only increase by 35.4 percent -- from $15.48 a month to $20.97 for 4,500 gallons.

A total of 22,930 customers will be affected by the water rate increase, but only 15,003 customers will be affected by the sewer rate increase. There are more water customers because MUB provides water to surrounding communities that do not get their sewer service from MUB, Green said.

Even with the increases, which must still be approved by Morgantown City Council and the PSC, Green noted that MUB's water and sewer rates will still be the cheapest in the state.

But Don Corwin Sr., one of just a handful of MUB customers who attended the hearing, asked why the rates had to increase so much at one time.

"Why such a big jump?" Corwin said. "I've lived in this town for 77 years. Why haven't you done something? You've seen the building. You've seen the growth."

Green said the PSC will not permit incremental increases, and the water projects -- which should extend the life of Morgantown's water treatment plant by 10-15 years -- are costly. Bill Burton, a member of MUB's board, added that MUB has been planning for the upgrades, but that process takes time.

He also noted that the PSC won't permit MUB to hang on to large cash reserves.

Corwin's son -- Don Corwin Jr., president of the Monongalia County Property Owners' Association -- said he understands the need to improve water quality and expand capacity, but he questioned the timing of the increase.

"This is a substantial increase given the economic situation that we're currently undergoing...," said Don Corwin Jr. "We're all trying to do more with less, but I can't go out and ask my customers for a 57-percent increase."

Green said the planning process began about three years ago, before the economic downturn started. MUB initially wanted to sell bonds to help finance the construction plan last year, but officials opted to hold off until the bond market improved.

The planning process is already under way for future upgrades, too. Green said MUB's wastewater treatment plant will likely need improvements within the next four or five years, for which planning will take two to three years.

Those improvements may cost as much as $40 million, but Green said he wouldn't know the exact cost -- or how rates would be affected -- until MUB takes bids on the project, likely in 2012 or 2013.

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