I am not going to pretend I understand the ramifications of this regarding our Aqua bills. They have asked for a rate increase but it is more usage based with portions of your bill going up and others declining. It appears the overall rate increase is going to be 6% but that doesn’t mean that will be the change in your individual bill. I will post the notice from the Boone County Journal below. Good luck figuring it out. You don’t suppose that is why it is stated as it is do you??? Hmmm.
Ken Dillenburg
PUBLIC NOTICE
Notice of Proposed Change in Schedule of Rates to
customers of the Candlewick Division of Aqua Illinois, Inc.
April 6, 2011
Dear Customer:
Aqua Illinois, Inc. hereby gives notice to the public that it has filed with
the Illinois Commerce Commission (ICC) a proposed change in its rate
schedules for water and wastewater service in all areas served by the
Candlewick Division, which includes all subdivisions within the gates
of the Candlewick Lakes comunity.
Aqua has not filed water and wastewater requests for rate increases
for Candlewick customers in 11 and 14 years since 2000 and 1997,
respectively. Additionally, Aqua is not raising availability fees for
water or wastewater.
RATE REQUEST
The changes for all classes of wastewater service, if approved by the
ICC, would result in an overall revenue decrease of 17.9 percent. Aqua
has also proposed volumetric rates for Candlewick wastewater customers,
eliminating the existing flat rate structure for customers that share Aqua
water service. The $73.82 flat rate will decrease to a $36 basic rate and
charges will be consumption based. The proposed decrease in wastewater
rates is set out in Tariff ILL. C.C. No. 50, Section 2 filed with the ICC.
The changes for all classes of water service, if approved by the ICC,
would result in an overall revenue increase of 56.7 percent, a portion
of which is fire protection charges. If the water rate request is granted
in full as filed, an average monthly residential water bill (4,284 gallons)
would increase by $20.95, ($.69 cents per day) to $55.60. At the new rate,
customers would have a full day’s worth of water (141 gallons) for $1.83
per day – approximately a penny per gallon. The proposed increase in
water rates is set out in Tariff ILL. C.C. No. 49, Section 2 filed with the
ICC.
Due to increased efficiency, Aqua was able to hold costs down and request
a combined water and wastewater rate increase of only 6 percent. This
request will undergo a review by the ICC for up to 11 months.
Since the last general rate order issued in 2000 through the applicable
period covered by this rate filing (2012), Aqua will have put into service
more than $1.85 million in water system improvements, including:
upgrades and enhancements to the water plant and distribution system
to improve efficiency, reliability, safety, security and compliance
with Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (IEPA) standards;
the addition of an interconnect with the Poplar Grove water system
to be used in the case of an emergency; installation of new state-ofthe-art meters to ensure accurate readings, decrease estimated bills
and decrease the need for Aqua employees to enter customers’ homes;
and vehicle replacements to increase staff reliability and efficiency
and ensure prompt responses to emergency situations – representing
improvements of approximately $1,012 per water customer.
In addition, Aqua will have put into service more than $3.37 million
in wastewater system improvements since 1997, including: upgrades,
additions and new equipment installations at lift stations and the
treatment plant to improve overall efficiency, reliability, security and
compliance with IEPA standards; these enhancements also reduced
complications caused by power outages and improved response time
– representing improvements of approximately $1,844 per wastewater
customer.
ICC ROLE
Customers should be advised that the ICC may alter or amend the
rates or conditions of service after hearings held pursuant to 83 Ill.
Adm. Code 200 and may increase or decrease individual rates in
amounts other than those requested by the company.
ACTIONS YOU CAN TAKE
Any interested party may file a petition to intervene in the hearings
pursuant to 83 Ill. Adm. Code 200. A copy of the proposed change in
rate schedules may be inspected by any interested party at the business
office of the company at 1000 S. Schuyler Avenue, Kankakee, Illinois.
All parties interested in the matter may obtain information with
respect thereto either directly from Aqua Illinois or by addressing the
Chief Clerk of the Illinois Commerce Commission, 527 East Capitol
Avenue, Springfield, Illinois 62701.
Paul A. Wright
Division Manager, Candlewick
Aqua Illinois, Inc.
Published in the Boone County Journal 4/15/2011