State regulators want to know what’s going on with Lake Wylie water. Here’s why.
York County customers are next up to have their say on water and sewer rate increases that would impact customers across South Carolina.
Blue Granite Water Company serves several areas of York County, and is the main water and sewer service provider in the unincorporated but fast-growing Lake Wylie area. A public hearing starts at 6 p.m. Thursday at York County Council Chambers, 6 S. Congress St. in York to collect sworn testimony in the rate hearing case.
The state Public Service Commission ultimately will decide on the rate case. Public hearings allow customers to testify on price, customer service, water quality and other elements of utility service. Here are some details to know ahead of the hearing Thursday night:
▪ Blue Granite notified the Public Service Commission of the company’s intent to adjust its rates on Aug. 30, 2019. An application arriving Oct. 2, 2019 offered a variety of increases based on area and utility service type. Base and per gallon water charge increases ranged from 35% to 54%. Sewer fee increases came in at 56%.
The company in that application wrote changes are needed to “provide reasonable and adequate service” to customers, cover expenses, earn a reasonable return on investment and attract capital for future improvements. The application claims about $23 million in water and sewer system improvements since the last rate adjustment, applied for in 2018.
▪ Intervenors in the case include York County, the Building Industry of South Carolina, South Carolina Department of Community Affairs and other municipal, agency, homeowner association and resident interests. The case also involves 237 letters of or testimony in protest so far. Many of them come on behalf of at least two people.
More than 40 of those intervenors come from York County, most of that figure from Lake Wylie or Clover with some each in Fort Mill, Rock Hill and York.
▪ Dozens of customers already submitted comments. Here’s what they’re saying:
“Blue Granite already has higher rates than I have ever paid in my life for water and sewer by a large margin.” - Brandon Eaton, Clover, who states his bill is about five times higher here than before moving to the area
“Increasing rates to fund expenditures that do not improve water delivery, water quality or customer service (such as rebranding office location) should not be approved.” - Cindy Pennington, Lake Wylie
“Our community has had water service turned off, been put under a boil water advisory, and had Crowders Creek Elementary close early multiple times...we were under water restrictions for watering our lawns, which was detrimental to our landscapes. It seems to me that there is not adequate management of the services provided and a rate hike adds insult to injury.” - Timothy Kane, Clover
“This past summer they restricted the use of water from May (to) October and would roam the neighborhoods looking for people not following the rules. There have been numerous boil water advisories issued due to failures in the water equipment. I now stock up on gallon water it happens so often now!” - Allison Shank, Lake Wylie
▪ Blue Granite runs 153 systems in 16 counties in South Carolina. The company has about 28,000 customers on 105 water systems, 20 sewer systems and 27 combined systems. According to information from the company last fall, Blue Granite expects to invest about $17 million into infrastructure improvements both this year and next.
The company invests more than a quarter of incoming revenue, according to that information, in infrastructure.
▪ Upcoming hearings, some of them livestreamed, run through March 3. A final order should be issued by April 2. For more, visit the service commission website at psc.sc.gov.
