February 15, 2025
Archive

Brewer applies for 7.3% water rate decrease

BREWER – When the city took over the Brewer Water District five years ago, creating the Brewer Water Department, officials promised resident they would try to reduce water rates.

They are now attempting to do just that, and have asked the Maine Public Utilities Commission to approved a 7.3 percent water rate decrease, Mike Riley, water department superintendent, said Wednesday.

“It’s been a goal since the city took the water district over in 2003 … to reduce water rates,” he said. “It’s taken this long to kind of stabilize things.”

The rate decrease is possible because “we’ve been able to pay off some of our lingering debt,” Riley said. “Some of these loans, ones we’ve had out for quiet a few years, have matured.”

A public hearing on the rate decrease is planned for 6:30 p.m. Oct. 21 at City Hall to get public comments about the proposed change.

Those comments will be presented to the PUC, which has the final say in whether the decrease will happen, Riley said.

“We’ve filed the rate decrease package with them. They’re going over that now,” he said.

If the PUC approves the decrease, the water rate would decrease from the current rate of $67.74 for the first 900 cubic feet of water, which is the minimum, to $62.80 for the same amount, Riley said.

“We were hoping [to apply the new rate] for the December bill,” he said. If the rate change is approved after December, the next bill will be issued in March.

“The proposed decrease in water rates would decrease annual revenues of [the water department] by $131,857,” a press release about the public hearing states.

The water department currently has approximately 3,500 metered and private fire protection, or sprinkler, customers in Brewer, Orrington, Eddington and Holden. Those who rent fire hydrants in Brewer will not see a decrease, but all other users will, including outlying towns that pay for hydrant rentals, Riley said.

“We felt pretty good about it,” he said of the proposed decrease. “Costs have gone up … [and] we’re still able to offer the rate decrease.”

Materials about the rate decrease are available for review at the water department office, 223 Green Point Road, and at the city clerk’s office. Those who cannot make the public hearing can submit written comments by mail to Brewer City Hall, 80 N. Main St., Brewer 04412.

nricker@bangordailynews.net

990-8190


Have feedback? Want to know more? Send us ideas for follow-up stories.

comments for this post are closed

You may also like