OUCC Recommends Lower Increase For Citizens
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As a subscriber you can listen to articles at work, in the car, or while you work out. Subscribe NowThe Indiana Office of Utility Consumer Counselor is recommending a significantly lower increase than requested by Citizens Water. The utility is seeking more than $37 million in new revenue, and the OUCC is recommending roughly half of that.
Citizens request would have increased the average residential bill by about $15 per month starting in July 2016 and an additional $3 per month in July 2017. The utility says the increase is needed to upgrade a century-old sewer system that it says produces about six billion gallons of raw sewage each year.
In testimony filed this week by the OUCC, the organization said Citizens’ proposed customer charge increases would cause "disproportionate rate shock for low-volume users."
Citizens serves more than 300,000 customers in Marion and surrounding counties. Its current water rates were approved in March 2014. The utility has until November 9 to file a rebuttal. The Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission is scheduled to begin its evidentiary hearing on December 8.
