CLWSC Delays Customer Billing of First Phase of 71% Water Rate Increase

Dec. 6, 2010 - PRLog -- Spring Branch, Texas – Customers of Canyon Lake Water Service Company (CLWSC) were surprised to see that the expected 38% increase had not been applied to their December water bill. No notification regarding the delay was provided to CLWSC customers. A Spokesman for CLWSC stated “We have no intention, nor do I believe we have the authority, to go back and bill for the partial billing period in November that came after the rate increase, but which we chose to bill at the old rate for consistency.”  CLWSC did indicate that the 38% increase should appear in customers’ January 2011 statement.

CLWSC indicated that average customer usage for the billing period of 10/15/10 to 11/15/10 was 6200 gallons, for an average increase of about $20 per household. Once the entire rate increase is implemented (in March 2011), an average customer (utilizing 6200 gallons) would see an overall bill increase of about $37 (raising their monthly cost from $52 to almost $90).  A representative of the Coalition for Equitable Water Rates (CEWR) indicated that the timing of utility rate increases during months of low usage is a common practice utilized by many utilities to minimize the initial impact of the rate change. “People will begin to understand the full impact of this rate increase during the coming summer months when water usage is at its peak, or after neighborhood associations are hit with budgetary shortfalls due to the high additional cost.”

The CEWR has announced that they will host a Community Forum to provide an update on the protest of the proposed CLWSC 71% water rate increase. The public forum will be held December 15th, 2010 at 7pm at the GVTC Community Center Auditorium in Smithson Valley. The Forum will include the CEWR update and remarks by State Representative Doug Miller, County Commissioners Donna Eccleston and Jan Kennady. Other elected officials such as State Senator Jeff Wentworth have been invited.

The public forum will afford attendees the opportunity to hear how the water rate increase will affect them, what the CEWR is doing to challenge the increase, and what they can do to help to support the protest of CLWSC’s proposed rate increase. The CEWR is conducting a comprehensive effort to provide CLWSC’s rate payers the opportunity to make an informed choice on the proposed 71% increase to current water rates.

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The Coalition for Equitable Water Rates (CEWR) is a non-profit organization of local residents representing residential and business interests to insure that fair and competitive water rates are provided by the Canyon Lake Water Service Company.