AG Questions Proposed Milford Water Rates
For the first time since the state's energy bill passed in July, giving the attorney general's office jurisdiction over water rate cases, Attorney General Martha Coakley's office is taking action against one company.
The Milford Water Co. has requested an 82-percent rate increase to cover the cost of a new water treatment plant. The total amount of new revenue the utility is seeking for the year is $3.8 million, which it has said is necessary because of the increased cost of compliance obligations with the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection, requirements of the Federal Safety Water Drinking Act and the state's clean water regulations.
The request is being considered by the state's Department of Public Utilities. According to documents filed with the DPU, Milford Water said it serves about 8,800 customers in the town and the average bill would increase $21.49 per month or $67.48 per quarter.
"Our intervention in these cases will help ensure that ratepayers are protected against excessive rate hikes," Coakley said in a statement. "We are currently reviewing company documents to determine whether any of the claimed costs are unwarranted."
The attorney general's investigation is allowed under this year's Act Relative to Competitively Priced Electricity in the Commonwealth, which broadens the AG's Office of Ratepayers Advocacy's reach to allow it to intervene in water rate cases that are before the DPU.
Image credit: FreeDigitalPhotos.net.
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