MAHONING COUNTY Water company to raise its rates

The increases were negotiated by representatives of the affected communities.
By BOB JACKSON
VINDICATOR COURTHOUSE REPORTER
YOUNGSTOWN -- Consumers Ohio Water Company customers in eastern Mahoning County will see water-rate increases each of the next three years.
About 17,000 customers will be affected in Lowellville, Struthers and Poland, and in Beaver, Boardman and Poland townships. Nearly all the customers are residential.
Joseph Warino, county sanitary engineer, said the monthly rate is $3.46 per 100 cubic feet of water, or about 7,500 gallons. It will increase by 99 cents per month in both 2003 and 2004, and 96 cents per month in 2005.
The rates were negotiated by representatives of the affected communities and approved by a county utilities committee, Warino said.
As an integral part of the negotiation, Consumers has committed to capital improvement projects totaling $6.7 million during the next three years in the affected communities, Warino said.
Vote planned
In a related matter, Mahoning County commissioners were to vote today on adjusting water rates for customers in Craig Beach and Jackson and Milton townships.
Those areas were previously served by Youngstown, but the county took over in October. The major change is creation of a two-tier system, Warino said.
The basic rate will be $3.60 per 1,000 gallons of water, for up to 30,000 gallons per month. That's what customers in Craig Beach and Milton Township already pay, and is slightly less than Jackson Township customers have paid.
After 30,000 gallons, the rate drops to $2.50 per 1,000 gallons, Warino said.
The lower-cost tier was implemented primarily to benefit two industrial companies in the area who use large amounts of water.
bjackson@vindy.com