Public hearing held about Carolina Water rate hike

The voices weren’t as numerous Thursday as in years past, but the message hasn’t changed. People are frustrated with Carolina Water Service.

Carolina Water Service applied for an increase June 30. The average water rate increase system-wide is 20 percent, and the sewer increase is almost 22 percent. Rock Hill held the first of five scheduled public hearings statewide on Thursday night, with the next set for Oct. 29 in Clover.

There have been 10 rate increase requests in the past 26 years. The company applied for increases in 2011 and 2013. In recent years, public hearings have been held in Lake Wylie, where Carolina Water Service serves customers throughout the community. Those hearings drew dozens of residents at a time complaining about price, water quality and customer service.

The Rock Hill meeting attracted a handful of speakers, lasting less than an hour.

“It’s a 40-some-mile round round trip to Rock Hill,” said Lake Wylie resident Don Long, an intervenor in the case. “It’s nominally about a 25-mile round trip to Clover. It’s practically a zero round trip to (River Hills Community Church), which is where it ought to be.”

Long predicted the low turnout in Rock Hill and said he hopes for more residents when the Clover School District Auditorium hosts a hearing later this month.

“Hopefully the one in Clover will get some turnout from this area,” Long said. “I don’t know why the (service commission) did it this way.”

The case docket would suggest Lake Wylie as the likeliest place for public comment. It shows 46 protestants, or people signed in opposition of the request. Many come on behalf of couples. Of the 46 listed through press time Friday, 37 gave Lake Wylie or Clover addresses.

One speaker who did present testimony Thursday night was state Rep. Ralph Norman.

“It’s unfortunate that the residents have to put up with this type of service,” Norman said. “People are just frustrated because people come out to these meetings year in and year out, and the commission ignores them.”

Norman said he has spoken out against company increases for nine years. What Norman called a “rogue organization” is doubly frustrating because, he said, unlike other products where residents can choose providers, Carolina Water Service is the only provider in areas like Lake Wylie.

The company provided a statement Thursday night explaining the latest increase request. Increases are based on investments already spent on the system. Examples are clay pipe replacement in Lake Wylie, a new wastewater treatment plant in Rock Hill and a bulk water connection and treatment plant upgrade in Fort Mill.

“We understand no one likes rate increases and certainly not in the difficult economic times we have experienced,” the company said.

The company argues that even with new rates, water would cost less than 2 cents per gallon. Residents argue that the company is looking for return on investment well above what other investors or businesses would expect based on market competition.

Norman isn’t sure what testimony residents would have to provide for the service commission to deny the rate increases. He said he has heard service and cost complaints for years and more often than not, rates still rise.

“They continue to pretty much ignore the citizens,” Norman said.

This story was originally published October 16, 2015 at 11:28 AM with the headline "Public hearing held about Carolina Water rate hike."