The Public Utility Commission of Texas unanimously voted to deny Aqua Texas’ request for an $8.8 million annual rate increase through its system improvement charge amendment.
PUC ordered Aqua Texas to refund or credit all charges collected in excess of previously approved rates, submit detailed refund calculations within 90 days, provide comprehensive documentation of its capitalization policy in future rate cases and to better organize and document future rate increase requests.
“We appreciate the work of our legal team, experts, and the decision of the PUC Commissioners to reject the rate increase and to refund, with interest, the $52 that customers have been paying since August,” said Executive Director of the Watershed Association, David Baker.
The decision followed PUC Chairman Thomas Gleeson’s memorandum highlighting several deficiencies in Aqua’s application which included their failure to organize infrastructure investments by project as required by previous Commission orders, adequately distinguish between capital improvements and routine maintenance costs, provide poorly organized records that made verification of expenses impossible, or to demonstrate how claimed improvements benefited customers.
Affected customers who paid increased rates during the interim period should expect information about refunds or credits within 90 days.
