Regulators: PSC favors Carolina Water on rates

Jerry Bellune
Posted 5/24/18

State officials are asking why Public Service Commissioners appear to favor Carolina Water Service.

The commissioners gave the controversial water and sewer company most of what it asked for in …

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Regulators: PSC favors Carolina Water on rates

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State officials are asking why Public Service Commissioners appear to favor Carolina Water Service.

The commissioners gave the controversial water and sewer company most of what it asked for in a complex financial request.

Office of Regulatory Staff officials were surprised by the PSC decisions ignoring their recommendations.

The PSC gave Carolina Water a favorable verdict on four major requests including higher rates and profits.

According to Dawn Hipp of the ORS, the higher rates the PSC approved were a bit lower than CWS sought but favor the company’s shareholders over its customers.

Rates were for 3 groups of customers: Those buying sewer service, those buying water from another provider through CWS and those buying CWS water. The rates are based on use of 6,000 gallons a month.

For customers receiving sewer service, CWS asked for $69.76 a month and was approved for $65.77.

For customers receiving water service, CWS asked for $56.06 a month and was approved for $47.92.

For customers receiving water through CWS from another supplier, CWS asked for $68.769 a month and was approved for $59.88.

The PSC said the rate increases it approved were “just and reasonable.”

CWS spokesman Robert Yanity said the PSC agreed its legal expenses should be repaid by customers.

CWS is owned by a private out-of-state company, Utilities Inc., whose critics say is guilty of pollution, delivering poor quality water, and charging higher rates.

Last year U.S. District Judge Margaret Seymour said CWS must pay a $1.5 million fine and close the I-20 discharge pipe into the Saluda River.

Carolina Water violated federal pollution discharge limits at least 23 different times, Seymour said.

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