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United Water Files Petition for Rate Increase Increase necessary to recover increased costs for purchased water expenses and water quality improvements WILMINGTON, DE, July 21, 2000 -- United Water Bethel filed a petition today with Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission (PUC) requesting approval to increase rates for water service. If the Company's entire request is approved, rates would increase by 27.0% for residential customers and 25.1% for commercial customers using the average consumption rate. Some customers with low water consumption may see a decrease in their bill due to changes in the rate design and rate structure. The petition represents an initial step in the regulatory approval process; the PUC will perform a complete investigation and analysis on United WaterÕs request that may take two months or more to complete. "Over the last few years, United Water has seen a dramatic increase in costs for purchased water. The last increase took place in 1996," said Anthony Langley, general manager for United Water. "The proposed increase in rates for water service is directly related to the rising cost of purchased water and capital improvements to our water supply infrastructure." According to Langley, United Water has requested an overall increase of $212,500 per year. If the companyÕs entire request is approved, the total bill for a residential customer using an average consumption of 18,000 gallons of water per quarter would increase from $55.17 to $70.07. The total bill from a commercial customer using an average consumption of 77,000 gallons would rise from $223.25 to $279.38 per quarter. United Water Bethel provides water service to about 1,200 customers in the community.
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