Depending on usage, meter size and type of customer, Stucker Fork Water Utility is seeking an across-the-board rate increase of 31.5%, according to their petition filing with the Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission.
A hearing on their rate increase request will be held later this month in Indianapolis.
According to the water utility rate request, customers would see a rate increase on the first 10,000 gallons of water used go from the current rate of $4.44 per 1,000 gallons to $5.10, an increase of 14.86%. The next 240,000 gallons of water consumed would go from the present $3.56 per thousand gallons to $4.74, a hike of 33.14%.
Larger consumers would also be affected. The next quarter of a million gallons consumed is currently billed at $3,33 per 1,000 gallons and would rise to $3.95, an 18.61% increase. Over 500,000 gallons would rise from the current $2.54 per thousand to $3.55, a 39.76% hike.
Wholesale customer would see a 42% increase from $2.54 per 1,000 gallons used to $3.61.
The City of Scottsburg and the Town of Crothersville are both wholesale customers of Stucker Fork as a secondary consumer. Both communities have their own water acquisition and treatment plants but are tied into the Stucker utility on an as-needed basis in case the municipal water utility experiences problems there is no water disruption to residents.
Scottsburg pays around $2,000 a month to Stucker Fork while Crothersville using about 1.1 million gallons of water pays around $2,900 a month
Stucker Fork’s last rate increase was approved in July 2018.
Stucker Fork Water Utility, based in Scott County, has approximately 8,000 customers in Scott and portions of Jackson, Washington, Clark, Jefferson and Jennings Counties representing a 420 square mile territory.
The utility is seeking the rate increase to cover the cost of periodic maintenance, expected customer base expansion due to residential construction, and to double the Marble Hill water production from four million gallons a day to eight million at an estimated cost of $7.325 million, according to IURC documents.
Sucker Fork Water Utility began in 1964 and drew its water from the Muscatatuck River south of Crothersville. During time of low rainfall or drought, the company would use water released from Hardy Lake Reservoir. However, there were times this drawdown would leave Hardy Lake unusable for public recreation. In 1998 Stucker Fork acquired the Marble Hill well field from PSI Energy, the forerunner of Duke Energy.
The public hearing on the requested rate increase before the Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission is scheduled for 9:30 a.m. on Tuesday, April 29, in Room 222 of the PNC Center, 101 W. Washington Street in Indianapolis.
Customers can read the filing before the IURC by going to www.in.gov/iurc/docketed-cases. Click on Online Services Portal and enter 46167 as the cause number.