Increases in oil costs that raised the cost of electricity are in turn having a big impact on the county Department of Water Supply, which is proposing a 16% increase in the power cost adjustment on local water bills.
The Water Board will hold a public hearing later this month to hear water customers’ input on the increase, raising the power cost from $2.02 per thousand gallons to $2.34. The increase, if approved, will go into effect May 1.
With the proposed 32-cent increase, a family of five, which consumes on average about 12,000 gallons of water per month, will see its bimonthly water bill increase by $7.68.
It’s the highest power cost charge in at least two years but not the department’s highest. That was from January to June 2009, when it was $2.38 per 1,000 gallons.
The power cost charge was last changed March 1 when consumers saw it decrease from $2.15 to $2.02 per 1,000 gallons.
“Electric power is required to pump and deliver potable water to customers and is a significant portion of the department’s operational requirement and expense,” Manager-Chief Engineer Keith Okamoto said. “DWS continues to work on initiatives to improve energy efficiency for the benefit of our customers and the environment.”
The department, finding hikes in its energy costs, is also considering revising the annual budget it passed on first reading last month to increase expenditures in that category. The new budget would go into effect July 1.
The public hearing is set for 9:30 a.m. April 26 in the Puna conference room via Zoom. The public hearing, and the board meeting that follows, can be viewed on the agency’s Facebook page, HawaiiDWS .
The public can testify in person at the Puna conference room in the county building in Hilo, or via Zoom by registering via email dws@hawaiidws.org or by telephone (808) 961-7227.
The power cost charge allows the semi-autonomous department react more quickly to changes in power costs. Before that, the Department of Water Supply operated on an annual budget that changed little.
The water bill includes an energy charge, a water consumption charge, a set standby charge and a power cost charge that fluctuates with the price of electricity. The water department, a semi-autonomous agency, doesn’t get tax dollars but is funded by charges for its water service.
Email Nancy Cook Lauer at ncook-lauer@westhawaiitoday.com.