Hunters Glen homes may face water rate hike

April 22--Residents of Hunters Glen are facing a possible 80 percent water and sewer rate increase.

The subdivision is serviced by Carolina Water Service, which sent an application to the S.C. Public Service Commission last week seeking an adjustment of rates and charges in its service area that includes 93 households in Hunters Glen.

The increases are necessary, according to the application, to enable Carolina Water Service to earn a "reasonable return on its investment and to attract capital for future improvements ... (to) promote continued investment in and the maintenance of its facilities and thereby permit the applicant to continue providing reliable and high quality water and sewer services."

What the rate increase could mean is almost a doubling of a household's water and sewer bill.

A household using 7,000 gallons of water a month currently pays Carolina Water Service roughly $35.94. The increase would tack on an additional $30. A sewer bill of $39 would grow to $44.32.

Hunters Glen Homeowner's Association Chairman Jay Pittman said he had not heard of the rate request until contacted by the Aiken Standard. However, "an 80 percent increase seems unreasonable," he said.

The S.C. Office of Regulatory Staff (ORS), which has sole responsibility for the inspection, auditing and examination of public utilities, will audit the records and books of the service authority to build its own position on the rate increase request.

It will testify on its position in front of the S.C. Public Service Commission during the hearing, according to ORS Executive Director C. Dukes Scott, which is expected to take place in the next few months.

Residents will get the chance to share their opinion on the proposed rate increase at public meetings, but dates for those meetings have not yet been set.

Carolina Water Service has more than 7,600 water and 11,000 sewer customers in Aiken, Beaufort, Georgetown, Lexington, Orangeburg, Richland, Sumter, Williamsburg and York counties.

-----

To see more of the Aiken Standard or to subscribe to the newspaper, go to http://www.aikenstandard.com/.

Copyright (c) 2011, Aiken Standard, S.C.

Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services.

For more information about the content services offered by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services (MCT), visit www.mctinfoservices.com.

NYSE:SCI,

A service of YellowBrix, Inc.