Aqua Ohio addresses agreement at Poland council

Staff report

POLAND

Jennifer Johnson, area manager of Aqua Ohio, addressed village council Tuesday on the rate agreement provided by the company in Mahoning County.

“This equates to about a $1 increase per month the first year for a small user, and just under $2 a month for an average user in our system,” she said.

In Poland village, the average small customer, such as a single individual, uses 1,500 gallons a month and pays $23.72 for it now. Residential customers, such as families, use 3,900 gallons a month and pay a rate of $43.04 for it now.

Aqua Ohio reached an agreement after a rate negotiation session June 1, including representatives from Struthers, Lowellville, Poland Village; Beaver, Boardman, Canfield, Coitsville, Poland and Springfield townships; and Mahoning County.

“I think what happens is that it evenly spreads the rate increases so there’s no rate shock,” she said. “There are no spikes, so we try to keep it even and at rates that are at moderate increases and I think the rate agreement that we reached accomplishes that.”

The agreement is a four-year plan with a fifth-year option, with a 4.2 percent monthly rate charge increase through 2018, then it will rise to 4.4 percent in 2019 and 4.5 percent in 2020. If there still is need for more capital after 2020, the plan calls for a fifth year with the charge rate remaining at 4.5 percent while negotiations are reopened with the communities for a new plan.

Under this rate plan, Aqua Ohio hopes to gain $24.5 million in capital. The company plans to use the money to upgrade its water-treatment plant on state Route 170 in Poland Township, construct a new maintenance garage/office in Struthers Castlo Industrial Park and for waterline-replacement projects.