Aqua Missouri seeks 18 percent rate increase

The Missouri Public Service Commission is holding a public hearing in Republic next week to gather customer input about a proposed 18 percent water rate increase by Aqua-RU Inc., which does business as Aqua Missouri Inc.

The hearing, to be held in Room B of the Republic Community Center at 711 E. Miller Road, regards rate requests filed in July by Aqua Missouri to change water and sewer rates of customers in 10 Missouri counties, including Greene, Christian, Taney, Stone and Barry counties in southwest Missouri.

The rate proposal would increase monthly water bills by 18.4 percent, to $53.66, for a residential customer using 4,000 gallons of water in its Spring Valley service area.

Missouri PSC staff will be on hand to ask and answer questions; the hearing begins at 5:30 p.m., with the public comment period 6–9 p.m. Customers also can make written comments by visiting this web site, or by mailing comments to Office of the Public Counsel, PO Box 2230, Jefferson City, MO 65102.

Aqua Missouri Inc., a subsidiary of publicly traded, Pennsylvania-based Aqua America Inc. (NYSE: WTR), serves more than 200 customers in Missouri.