In late May, Aqua Pennsylvania, Inc., which serves Abington, Jenkintown, Cheltenham, Upper Moreland, and Lower Moreland, filed a request with the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission (PUC) to increase customers’ water rates as of July 22, 2024.
According to Aqua, the increase is intended to cover capital investments in system repairs and improvements since April 2023 and continuing through December 2025.
6ABC reported some good news yesterday: The PUC said the commission will immediately suspend the rate case, which will result in a full investigation and a series of public hearings.
Aqua initially said customers should expect increases to take effect in February 2025, but according to 6ABC, a final decision won’t be made until early next year.
From Aqua’s announcement:
On May 23, 2024, we filed an application to adjust water and wastewater rates to reflect $953 million in capital infrastructure projects we have made since April 2023 and will make through the end of 2025. Our request, Aqua Pennsylvania’s first in nearly three years, allows us to continue our infrastructure work that improves reliability and water quality, enhances customer service, and helps to support our commitment to the communities we serve. This includes replacing approximately 200 miles of aging water main and associated valves and customer service lines throughout about 5,900 miles of distribution system. Aqua has also replaced hundreds of fire hydrants, improving public safety in the communities we serve. The request also supports our response to new regulations that require treatment, like PFAS and replacement of lead service lines, while also defending against cyber-security threats.
Aqua Pennsylvania’s requested base rate increase requires investigation and approval by the PUC. The rate review process can take up to nine months, which means customers can expect any approved increases to take effect at the end of February, 2025.
To learn more about the filing, you can click here. 6ABC’s video coverage of the issue is below:
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