Hawaii Water received approval from the Hawaii Public Utilities Commission (Commission) to increase annual revenues by approximately $825,000, effective Jan. 1, 2019, and $34,000, effective Jan. 1, 2020, to reflect infrastructure improvements made as well as increases in operating costs in its Waikoloa Village service area.
Investments made in Hawaii Water’s Waikoloa Village water and sewer systems include, in part, upgrades made to the Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) system; construction of two new water wells; upgrades to a third well and electrical building; replacement of wastewater mains; and the remainder of wastewater treatment plant (K-plant) construction.
“We are committed to providing quality, service, and value to our customers and communities, and that includes remaining focused on operating efficiently to keep costs down while performing infrastructure upgrades and maintenance needed to fulfill this promise,” said Martin A. Kropelnicki, President and CEO. “We appreciate the Hawaii Public Utilities Commission for its thorough work to analyze our operations, costs, and service and ensure that rates accurately reflect the costs of providing reliable, high-quality water and wastewater service to customers for their everyday needs, sufficient resources for firefighters in emergencies, and supplies that are safe for the environment.”
Hawaii Water’s last rate increase occurred in 2015, and was based on investments made in 2013 and earlier.