One of the state’s largest water companies is planning to raise its rates by over 13% this year.
Aquarion Water applied for the rate hike this summer and is now awaiting approval from the state’s Public Utilities Regulatory Authority (PURA).
PURA still needs to complete its review and decide on the proposal. The plan, though, is facing pushback from the attorney general.
In an 18-page brief filed last week, William Tong called the proposal excessive and unwarranted, and is urging PURA to reject it.
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“For a lot of reasons, it doesn’t make sense to give them the increases that they are asking for,” Tong said.
While the first-year increase would be 13.9%, Tong said that the average increase over three years could exceed 27%. Tong says this increase is not necessary or appropriate.
“They are asking for money to fund bonuses. They are asking for money to compensate them for infrastructure projects that aren’t done yet,” said Tong, explaining some of the ways Aquarion would use the funds.
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Tong says he appreciates Aquarion’s investment in the state’s water infrastructure, but not through rate increases.
“I want them to acquire water systems that are not profitable or could function better and I want them to make improvements. I just don’t want to overpay for it,” he said.
Aquarion was acquired by Eversource in 2017 and this is the first rate increase filed since then. Still, some customers aren’t ready for it.
“That’s ridiculous, that’s a lot of money,” said Rob McLaughlin of Torrington.
McLaughlin is one of about 217,000 Connecticut customers. He owns a landscaping company that uses a lot of water during the spring and summer.
“We’ll start using probably 60 to 100,000 gallons every three months,” he said.
But it’s not just companies; households could also be drowning in increased water bills.
“I’m a little disgusted by it,” said David Tribou of Torrington.
According to the Tong's brief, the profit margin sought by Aquarion would exceed all other regulated Connecticut utilities.
“Frankly I don’t think any increase is warranted,” Tong said. “I hope that PURA goes as far as we need them to.”
NBC Connecticut reached out to Aquarion for comment. A spokesperson did not want to comment on the rate hikes, but said Aquarion’s Torrington Water and Aquarion’s Valley Water in Plainville would not be affected by the rate hike.
Torrington Water was acquired in October 2022 after the application was made and Valley Water had just gone through a rate hike prior to being purchased by Aquarion in December of 2021.
