San Tan Valley residents are expressing frustration over a significant proposed increase in their wastewater service costs. EPCOR, the company providing water and wastewater services, is asking the Arizona Corporation Commission for permission to raise wastewater bills by 51.94% and water bills by 13%, as detailed in a report by ABC15.
Should the hike be approved, homeowners could see their monthly wastewater costs jump from about $46 to approximately $70. This has understandably led to concerns among residents, especially those on fixed incomes such as the elderly. "My next-door neighbors are in their 80s, they’re retired, they’re on a fixed income," Samantha LeBaron, a San Tan Valley homeowner, told ABC15, "And then there’s an increase on their utilities?"
The potential rate hike comes as homeowners juggle with skyrocketing expenses across the board, including for essentials like groceries and gas. According to ABC15, some people are feeling the pinch so severely they're racking up debt or considering selling their homes. "We’re seeing [people] putting their day-to-day living costs on credit cards such as groceries and utility bills and eventually they need to sell their homes," explained Melanie Scow a realtor and San Tan Valley homeowner in the same community.
EPCOR has been the San Tan Valley's water service provider for several years now, taking over from Johnson Utilities which was plagued with issues including sewage spills and chemical contaminants. The company asserts that the rate increase is to recoup investments made to revamp the system, stating in a press release, "EPCOR has brought safe, reliable service to a historically troubled utility system that had been severely underfunded, neglected and routinely fined and cited by state regulators." According to an ABC15 interview, the company mentioned, "Because of systemic neglect that we inherited, we have had to make two decades of investment in just a few years. Although this amount of investment in such a short period is understandably significant for customers, it was unavoidable if we were going to reverse the severe infrastructure decay that had taken root in this community."
For families grappling with rising living costs, the rate hike could be another straw on the camel's back. Some, like resident Joel Sutherland, are contemplating leaving Arizona as a coping mechanism. In a statement obtained by Ground News, Sutherland expressed, "It’s just another reason that we’ve got to do what we’ve got to do which is get out of Arizona." On the other hand, EPCOR offers financial assistance for customers earning below certain income thresholds, a program that might mitigate the impact for the least well-off in the community.
The Arizona Corporation Commission is set to begin public comment meetings and hearings from February through spring regarding the proposed rates. EPCOR's increase request is documented under docket number WS-01303A-24-0130, for those who wish to follow the proceedings.
