The Post NEWS Sunday, March 7, 2004 3 ®Plan revealed to hook up S water systems A Customers say rate increase not justified By RONALD BARTIZEK Post Staff KINGSTON TWP. — Cus- tomers of Aqua Pennsylvania think they pay enough for the water quality and service they receive. The company thinks they don’t pay enough. Unhappy customers brought their complaints — and in one case some evidence — to a public hearing before an admin- istrative law judge, called by the Public Utilities Commis- sion to take testimony on pro- posed increases of up to 44 per- cent. “We pay so much Jor water, and I'm paying for filters every month.” Edward Dicton Midway Manor, Shavertown Residents of the Maplecrest subdivision in Trucksville will be hit hardest if the rate pro- posal is allowed to stand. They absorbed a 45 percent increase in November, 2002 and the company is asking for 44 per- cent now. : “An 89 percent increase in your water rates in less than two years'is a bit much,” said Barry Wagner, vice president of the Maplecrest Homeowners Association. He asked that the rates for his development be left alone. Concerns were also raised about the effect of connecting five Kingston Township sys- tems to one another. Chuck Steever, who lives in Sunrise Estates, off Carverton Road in Trucksville, said he was concerned that the good water service in his develop- ment would be degraded if plans to interconnect several systems are put in place. Michael Hassell, an attorney representing the company, said Aqua PA “has been proud to combine systems where neces- sary to provide good service to everyone.” He confirmed the company is planning to inter- connect systems in Sunrise Es- tates, Windsor Farms, Cedar Lane, Maplecrest and Midway Manor. : Combining the systems may address an issue brought up by several residents of Maplecrest, which is off Manor Drive and adjacent to Sunrise Estates. A relatively new subdivision, Maplecrest does not suffer with dirty water and leaks that have plagued Midway Manor for years, but it has low water pres- sure, so low that fire hydrants, 1 b What’s Next The Public Utilities Commis- sion will hold a series of four hearings in Harrisburg dur- ing April. An administrative law judge will recommend a rate schedule by June 14, and the PUC will make a fi- nal decision by August 14. which were required when the land was developed, are lying unused until there’s sufficient pressure to use them. Along with connecting the systems together, Hassell said the company was seeking a low-interest state loan to fi- nance the installation of stor- age tanks, probably in 2005. That would create the pressure and volume needed to make hydrants useful. Most of the local systems were previously owned by Na- tional Utilities, Inc., which was notorious for poor quality and slow service. The people who spoke at the hearing have not seen much improvement. Edward Dicton, who lives in Midway Manor, a Shavertown subdivision, illustrated his complaint with samples of the 28 water filters he said he has replaced since April 2002. “We pay so much for water, and I'm paying for filters every month,” he said. Other customers testified about low pressure, dirty water and leaks that turned their yards into fields of mush. “Why do we have to pay for their (National Utilities’) inep- titude?” asked David Broad- head, who also lives in Midway Manor. Under the company’s proposal, his rate would in- crease by 42 percent. He described an area of his backyard that sinks a foot or more each year, due to a leak- ing water line, which the com- pany has consistently denied exists. Hassell, the company attor- ney, said even after the in- crease, rates in Midway Manor. would be below those charged in the company’s main service areas. It is PUC policy to “equalize” a company’s rates across the state. Because they are very recent acquisitions by Aqua PA, no rate increase was proposed for Windsor Farms or Cedar Lane. Hassell announced at the hear- ing that a proposed 33 percent increase for Sunrise Estates had been withdrawn. Other systems included in the rate request are: Oak Hill, Lehman Twp., -1 percent; Rhodes Terrace, Harveys Lake, 19 percent; Warden Place, Har- veys Lake, 42 percent. No one from those areas spoke at the hearing 7 did FOR THE POST/PETE G. WILCOX NW Barry Wagner of the Maplecrest Homeowners Association in . Shavertown addressed judge Cynthia Fordham and a panel of lawyers at the Feb. 26 hearing to discuss proposed water rate hikes. Senior Girl Scout Kelly Williams played a game with Ju- Some of the Cadette Girl Scouts who worked at the event included, from left: Katie C ren Yurko, Amanda Musto, Katie Gilligan, Megan Hine, and Amy Vodzak. ; yg nh niors, from left, Arianna Brennan, Olivia Zurad, and Lindsay Stammer. Brownie Girl Scouts, from left, Morgan Gilhooley, Amber Scouts —— (continued from page 1) ship bracelet, which will be sent to Girl Scouts in California who lost everything in last sum- mer’s wildfires. In addi- tion, they donated school supplies for Operation Pencil Box. The scouts who attended earned the Brownie Around the World Try It or the Junior Girl Scouts Around the World Badge. Other scouts who as- sisted in the program were: Senior Kelly Williams; Cadettes Brieanne Bolton, Katie Confer, Megan Hine, Heather Mines, Stephanie Gonczol, Debra Ketchner, Nicole Madden, Saman- tha Marquart, Alyssa Miller, Amanda Musto, Amy Vodzak, Megan Youells, Lauren Yurko, and Leader Michele Makarewicz. Ford, and Leah Benedetti, learn how to focus on ability. They tried to button shirts with thick gloves on their hands. Lake (continued from page 1) The borough received its first grant to combat the problem in 2000. The $100,000 sum was used ’ to stabilize two streams, one near the Sandy Beach and another near Grotto Pizza. Lubnow said adding rock to the banks of one and intro- ducing native plant species to the other reduced the amount of algae- - inducing chemical washing into the lake at those areas. At Hemlock Gardens, $156,000 worth of storm water infrastruc ture — including the addition of piping, and catch basins — made a significant difference in the amount of phosphorus leaching into the lake, said Lubnow. Educat- ing the public has been a big part of the process, as well. Lubnow said grant money has been used to create educational pamphlets that are sent to residents twice a year. Curiously, residents are much more active and interested now than they were when this process Annual Percentage Rate” Variable Annual Percentage Rate affiliated companies. thereafter p First Federal Put a great bank behind you. started, said Lubnow, a factor that has helped the borough’s efforts. “We have people coming up to us and saying, ‘this site may be a problem, or that site’ In that re- spect I think we've come a long way. Lubnow agreed a lot has been done to improve the health of Har- veys Lake, but said there is still much: to-do. 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