IRMO, S.C. — After much community response, The Public Service Commission (PSC) in the Town of Irmo has made a ruling regarding the Blue Granite Water Co. (BG) rate hike request.
The Town of Irmo executed the following steps, according to the Town.
- Council authorized the Town Attorney to intervene on behalf of the citizens affected.
- Council recommended and communicated the methods for citizens to dispute the rate increase.
- Council petition the PSC to hold evening hearings in Irmo. That led to a packed room of citizens empowered to speak directly to the PSC and Blue Granite Water Co. (BG)
In late 2019, Blue Granite requested an increase from $65.08/mo to $101.00/mo fixed in the Friarsgate subdivision. That is an increase of $35.92 (55.19 percent), according to the release.
The rulings are as follows:
Blue Granite offered to delay the increase until September 1, 2020. The PSC granted an increase of $15.85/mo (24.35%) instead of $35.92/mo (55.19%). The new rate will be $80.93/mo starting in September.
PSC will also give a one-time credit of $10.59 to all sewer customers because of over collected Federal tax expense accumulated by Blue Grate from January 1, 2018 to June 28, 2018.
The PSC also ruled that Blue Granite must track complaints and prepare a quarterly report to the Commission with efforts to improve responsiveness and customer satisfaction, with the first report due on or before July 1, 2020.
The Commission agreed that flat rate billing is burdensome on customers with low water usage, so Blue Granite has been ordered to investigate the feasibility of converting their billing system to a volumetric design within the same time frame when it files its next rate case.
The Commission also ordered Blue Granite to obtain the actual monthly water usage data from the City of Columbia and provide a status report within 120 days.
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Blue Granite will implement a voluntary roundup program, rounding up bills of participating customers to the nearest higher dollar amount with the difference accumulated in a reserve fund for remittance to the South Carolina Office for Economic Opportunity (SCOEO). These funds will be redistributed to the low income customers and those experiencing hardships.
The PSC ruled that since Blue Granite contracts the servicing and maintenance of the Irmo sewer system to Clearwater Solutions, Inc., BG needs to submit the service contract to the PSC for approval.
The PSC denied the request of Blue Granite to pass the legal expense relating to the Town of Lexington condemnation cost. The PSC also denied passing the fixed cost of moving and lease expense to the new offices in Greenville, SC. onto the customers.
