Kent Water seeks to pass on Providence rate hikes
10:50 AM Tue, Jul 07, 2009 | Permalink
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WEST WARWICK, R.I. -- The Kent County Water Authority is seeking to automatically pass along any increase in water rates granted to the Providence Water Supply Board to its customers. The request comes because Providence has asked the state Public Utilities Commission for permission to raise its water rates by 10.1 percent, although the board expects to scale that request back to 8.8 percent because its property tax bills in Scituate, home of the Scituate Reservoir, have recently been reduced. Kent County Water, which buys nearly 3 billion gallons from Providence each year, said the increase, as filed, would cost more that $428,000, and it wants to be able to pass that increase on to its ratepayers. Kent has told the PUC it would need to recover its extra costs by increasing its metered rates by 2.53 percent. The typical residential customer of the Providence Water system, who uses 74,805 gallons annually, now pays $276.32 per year. A Kent County Water Authority customer pays $502.26 for the same amount, according to a comparison released by Providence Water to support its proposed rate hike. Another public hearing on the Providence Water proposal is set for Wednesday at 6 p.m. in the North Providence Town Hall, 2000 Smith St. An initial hearing at the Providence Public Safety Complex auditorium in June drew just one person. Providence Water sells directly to residential and business customers in Providence, Cranston, Johnston and North Providence. It also sells water, at wholesale, to Kent, the Greenville Water District, the East Smithfield Water District and the Bristol County Water Authority. gemery@projo.com / (401)277-7442 
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Why does Kent County water charge almost double what Providence charges? Glad to see the PUC is keeping these monopolies in line. Not like I can change water companies.
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Thank god I have Well Water, not the best tasting but I would rather buy bottled water than give my money to Kent Cty Water Auth.
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Keep in mind folks, unions have to be fed, and in this case, watered.
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They still maually plug into the electronic meter
sender rather than ride down the street to read them. A Kent Water person has to walk the route. How inefficient.
One of the raises they received years ago was to install the whole system to read it by riding down the street.
They are still sending there yearly water report in color at a high expense, and were told years ago by the PUC to do it in black & white for the savings.
They listen to no one, do what they want, are inefficient.
Now you know why they are so expensive and ripping off there customers.
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