BPU customers will see a small increase in wastewater rates for 2022.
The Jamestown Board of Public Utilities Board of Directors passed a 3% rate increase for wastewater at its meeting November 27 with no increase in water rates.
BPU General Manager Dave Leathers said wastewater is a fairly stable division that last saw rate increases in 2017 and 2009, “We feel that for different reasons, a nominal rate increase was justified and the board supported that. So, I think that’s about $0.11 per water unit on wastewater customers. If somebody is using 6 units a month on average, you know, that’s probably $0.65 to $0.70 a month in their wastewater bill.”
Leathers said the District Heat and Solid Waste Budgets were passed in October with no rate impacts. He said even with increases in natural gas prices expected, they were able to maintain the District Heat rate due to hedging.
Leathers said the BPU board will pass the electric division budget this month which will have no change in the rate due to that needing to be requested from the State Department of Public Service, “Sometime in 2023 we may initiate a rate case that would be effective in 2024 or beyond. I don’t see any rate impacts in electric for sure in 2022 or 2023 right now.”
Leathers added the budgets are presented with a five-year outlook so that the board is aware of any special projects or vehicle purchases that may be coming down the line.
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