Global Water Rate Increase

As you should know Global Water has requested a rate increase for their water rates, sewer rates and reclaimed water rates. Check our local news sites for more info and background on the story. Yesterday was a meeting at the ACC (Arizona Corp Commission) to discuss the rate increase. This was a deferred special meeting after their monthly meeting on 24 Aug 2010. To keep yourself up to date of the progress of this story follow these links.

ACC edocket:

https://edocket.azcc.gov/

You will see a small "search by number" box in the upper right corner. To obtain documentation filed in the case type in W-20446a-09-0080. This will give you access to all filings from angry homeowner emails to responses to questions by Global Water. To date no "decisions" have been listed. You may subscribe to a RSS feed to get updates when new documents are posted.

I have also called the ACC this am and the admin person answering the phone could give me no update on yesterdays meeting. She directed me to a phone (not telling me whose) to be greeted by a general answering machine mailbox. I have also emailed one of the persons listed in the case as a "contact" and have yet to hear any response.

Will keep you updated when I find out more info.

Now that I have provided you the facts...here is my opinion:

I have assisted small utilities in rate analysis projects. In a nutshell rates are typically (at municipalities, Districts and not for profit utilities) a function of customer payments to cover expenses, operating costs and reserve accounts. In the case of Global Water they also a private company and thus are in business to turn a profit. Thus their rates are higher than typical utilities in the State.

To view rate study by AZWIFA (governmental funding authority where systems obtain loans for system infrastructure) documenting rates throughout the state see:

http://www.azwifa.gov/?pageid=publications

I think the major point that has been missed here by our neighbors over at GW is that they need us just as much as we need their water...since we are the "disposal" mechanism for their wastewater treatment system effluent. In college we learned that when you typically design (as a engineer) a wastewater treatment plant it goes in the lowest elevation of the town near the river where you dispose of the water. You treat the water cleaner than the river / creek / stream and everyone is happy. Here out in the west it is quite a bit different. We (engineers) are not able to just dump water into a dry wash. This creates a "non-native" habitat that is not going to be approved by AZDEQ (some have been allowed...mostly due to grandfathering...but in the last number of years very few and only for special cases). Thus we make sure that there is a balance of green space within a development to "dispose" of the treated wastewater (reclaimed water) by irrigation of the green scape.

As I have previously posted when talking with AAM there is a simple solution to this rate case:

HAVE THE WHOLE TOWN PARTICIPATE IN A "WATER" FLU.

Let Global know who their "customer" is and that we will not stand for these extreme increases. Global where then will you put your effluent if we refuse to take it??? I know you have a NPDES permit but expect that this is not for consistent use.

I have on NUMEROUS occasions tried to rally our HOA to work to this end. They however have refused to discuss it with me...nor do anything in our perspective about this.

Feel free to contact me for more info. Hope this has helped you review the info and make your own decision. Also we would be happy to help your home, business or HOA by performing a water audit of your property.

Food for thought: When moving into our home we made some easy adjustments to our water system that showned a ROI (return of investment) in several months. These changes cut our water bills significantly. I am also working on some simple home greywater modifications to further lower our home water use. Look for us to market this as a new business offering here soon in our City.