HAMPDEN – During Tuesday’s telephone meeting among representatives for the local water district, state utility regulators and consumers failed to yield a settlement agreement over a contentious rate increase request. Another technical conference was set for March 6.

The Hampden Water District applied for an approximate 18 percent rate increase last fall but residents petitioned the state Public Utilities Commission to stop the hike. The PUC has until the end of July to approve or deny the increase, but the Maine Public Advocate, who represents the petitioners, and water district officials hope to reach an agreement before then, said Cameron Torrey, general manager for the Hampden Water District.

Nine individuals representing the various parties participated in Tuesday’s conference call before a technical difficulty halted conversations, Torrey said. During the call, the representatives went through the district’s annual budget line by line and tried to find ways to trim expenses, he said. An agreement could be reached before the scheduled March 6 telephone meeting, but it is too early to tell at this point, he said.