Carolina Water rate hike hearings set in Clover, Rock Hill

Carolina Water Service customers in York County can weigh in on the proposed water and sewer rate at public hearings next month in Clover and Rock Hill.

The state Public Service Commission has announced five public meetings. The first is 6 p.m. Oct. 15 at First Baptist Church in Rock Hill, 481 Hood Center Drive. Clover School District Auditorium, 1625 Highway 55 E., hosts one at 6 p.m. Oct. 29. Other meetings will be in Anderson, Georgetown and Columbia.

Anyone wanting to testify in the rate case can do so at the hearings. Speakers get three minutes, with all testimony given under oath.

Dukes Scott, executive director of the state Office of Regulatory Staff, said the list of meetings could see additions. Two more requests for hearings came in after the first four events were annoucned, and several requests sit on the case docket for a meeting in Lake Wylie.

“We need to watch the docket,” Scott said Sept. 17.

Scott said it’s difficult to say what type of information commissioners might find most useful in making their decisions.

“Each commissioner has their own thoughts on what is most important,” Scott said. “Whatever they want commissioners to hear, they should bring.”

Residents testifying can expect the attention of commissioners, but the group will not answer questions.

“The commissioners are there as judges,” Scott said. “Sometimes customers want to ask questions and have them answered. That’s not why the commissioners are there. They’re there to listen and gather information.”

Carolina Water filed June 20 for a rate increase throughout its South Carolina service areas. The average water and sewer increases are about 20 percent.

As of Sept. 17, the rate case listed Lake Wylie resident Don Long and River Hills Community Association among five intervening groups signed on to participate in hearings. Of the 39 residents’ protests so far, 32 list Lake Wylie or Clover addresses.

Jennifer Marsh of Lake Wylie said she’d like the option of York County providing water to the area rather than Carolina Water.

“Since we have been in Lake Wylie, we have seen extremely high rates for residential and commercial customers in the area,” she wrote, “including hook-up fees, and very little done to address resident concerns, such as lift station overflows.”

For more on procedure or the case, call 803-896-5100 or visit psc.sc.gov.

This story was originally published September 17, 2015 at 11:48 AM with the headline "Carolina Water rate hike hearings set in Clover, Rock Hill."