Sen. McKinney Opposes Proposed Aquarion Rate Increases

Urges Fairfield residents to attend public hearing Tuesday

Hartford, CT – State Senate Minority Leader John McKinney (R-Fairfield) today voiced his objection to Aquarion Water Company’s proposed rate increases for each of the next three years. The increases could affect 47 municipalities in Connecticut, including Fairfield where the first year’s increases are proposed at 18.3% for residential, 18.4% for public authority and commercial usage, and 9% for public fire. If approved, those rate increases will be effective in September, followed by an additional 1.8% increase in 2014 and 1.9% in 2015. In all, a 23% increase over three years.

“These increases are excessive and come at a time when municipalities and residential customers can least afford them,” said Sen. McKinney. “To propose such a steep and sudden increase in the first year of this plan, tells me there really wasn’t much planning going on at all. We need to find a more equitable solution for ratepayers and Aquarion should be front and center offering alternative solutions.”

Sen. McKinney urged Aquarion customers to voice their own objections at a public hearing Tuesday night. Connecticut’s Public Utilities Regulatory Authority (PURA) will conduct the hearing at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday in the First Floor Conference Room in Fairfield’s Independence Hall, located at 725 Old Post Road.

Any resident unable to attend Tuesday’s hearing may email a statement to [email protected].
More information is available on PURA’s website, www.ct.gov/pura. The Docket No. is 13-02-20.