The Connecticut Superior Court has ruled to uphold the Public Utilities Regulatory Authority's (PURA) decision to decrease rates for Aquarion water customers.
Last March, PURA ordered a rate decrease to go into effect immediately. That decision stated that customers' bills would decrease by about 11% compared to current rates, or about $67 a year.
In their ruling, the Superior Court disagreed with Aquarion Water's claim that a $2 million reduction in revenue would "unconstitutionally diminish Aquarion's financial integrity or deprive it of its ability to attract capital."
Aquarion Water's initial rate request would have increased customers' water bills by 9%, or about $61 a year. It's the water company's first application for a rate increase since 2013.
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“Consistent with long-standing principles of regulatory law, I am pleased to see the Superior Court’s decision affirm that consumers deserve thorough examination of utilities’ requests for rate increases in order to prevent consumers from overpaying,” Consumer Counsel Claire Coleman said.
Attorney General William Tong said the decision is a "resounding affirmation of PURA's well-reasoned, pro-consumer rejection of Aquarion's unsubstantiated multi-million-dollar rate hike demand."
Aquarion supplies water to about 685,000 residents and businesses in the state. In a statement, a spokesperson said they are "in the process of reviewing the decision."
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More information on the ruling can be found here.
