AIKEN --- Graniteville resident Wade Baggott will be making a trip to Columbia today, hoping for a decision that would reduce his water and sewer bill.
"I hope that they'll adjust these rates," he said, adding that he and his wife are planning to attend today's 2 p.m. meeting of the South Carolina Public Service Commission, where new water and sewer rates for Graniteville and Vaucluse residents will again be addressed.
"We'll just see what's going to be said and if you have an opportunity to say anything," said Mr. Baggott, whose water and sewer bill recently increased from an average of about $8 to $91.
Jocelyn Boyd, of the South Carolina PSC, said Tuesday that discussion in the meeting likely won't include public comment but would be focused on settling the issue with Avondale.
"In their directive last week, the commission said they would hear from the parties regarding proposed solutions, so everybody's on notice based on that directive that the commission is expecting to hear from the parties," she said.
On Aug. 5 the PSC voted to temporarily suspend the new rates pending today's meeting. The new rates, which were approved by the PSC in June, were requested by Avondale Mills, the company that oversees the Graniteville water system. Avondale officials argued that since mill operations ceased in the area they had been losing money subsidizing the water system. They said the rate increases were needed to help the company break even, adding that customers were given a 60-day notice and there were two public meetings on the topic.
But state Rep. Roland Smith, R-Warrenville, said residents didn't know when the new rates would be enforced and didn't have time to adjust their usage before they received the first bills reflecting the higher rate on July 31. In some cases, bills were hundreds of dollars higher.
Mr. Smith said he also intends to be at today's PSC meeting, hoping for a ruling that adjusts the rates downward and gives residents 30 days' notice before a new rate is implemented.
"Anything approved is an improvement of what they have today," he said.
Stephen Felker Jr., the vice president of corporate development for Avondale Mills, said Tuesday that his company might have an attorney present and plans to again state its objection to the PSC's most recent suspension of the rates.
"We have stated our objections to their position and feel like it's been done without due process or fair hearing from Avondale and have reserved our rights to pursue all of our legal remedies," he said.
Reach Preston Sparks at (803) 648-1395, ext. 110, or preston.sparks@augustachronicle.com.
IF YOU GO
WHAT: South Carolina Public Service Commission meeting
WHEN: 2 p.m. today
WHERE: Synergy Business Park, 101 Executive Center Drive, Columbia
HOW TO GET THERE: Take Interstate 20 to Columbia. Take the Bush River Road exit, and turn left. Take a right onto Berry Hill Road, then take a left onto Executive Center Drive and into the Synergy Business Park.
They probably will get a reduction from the $11 per thousand gallons, but they will not go back to the old rates of $1.40 per thousand gallons. They will still get some sticker shock on their next bill. They had better learn to conserve water.
Little Lamb you asked a question of me on another article and i wasn't sure you got my answer or not but i wanted to be sure you did.You asked how old are the meters. Well get ready for this i don't want you to faint. These meter are at the very least,the very least 30-40 years old if not older. I just wanted you to understand why it is they might not be capable of reading correctly as you previously had purposed. Like i've said before this really isn't a conservation argument when no one reads a meter around here. Like i've also stated before my meter for certainty and sureness and whatever else word would apply hasn't been read in at least five years.
I'd also like to add to the subsidised argument does that apply to Breezy Hill water customers in Graniteville and North Augusta?
Breezy Hill who supplies water to Avondale and supplies water to the other half of Graniteville charges rates that aren't any different than what Avondale charges. I lived on Breezy Hill water for over ten years and for that entire time i never received a bill higher than $13. I lived on Avondale water for the last five years and i've received bills ranging from $10-$22. So what is it that allows Breezy Hill to run a successful company and Avondale to not? It's the business practices. Avondale for years only had meters in half the yards they supplied and they were ok with that. Avondale hasn't sent people out to read meters in years and they were ok with that. What's changed?Well Avondale has found a new friend and partner in Wyatt Development and Fine Deering. That's the difference.
Mr. Felker is looking to make some more money one last time off the people. Let's talk about the asbestos that is killing the residents!Let's talk about the fact that avondale should be paying us to live in a toxic cleanup area. Let's talk about the significant changes our environment has taken on due to the chlorine leak we all thank God have survived. The people of this town face things in their in environment that are lethal and toxic to them everyday and honestly maybe we should all start talking about that. Why isn't avondale cleaning up the asbestos left behind? Why is DHEC condemning the mills and posting signs that say asbestos on all of them and not making Avondale clean it up. Maybe everyone is holding a collective breath waiting on the residents to be relocated.
Well, they can hold their breath, we just bought the house 3 years ago...we aren't moving anywhere.
Anyway...when it was mentioned at the meeting about the meters not being read...and how the usage jumped all of a sudden on the last bill, Smith didn't respond as if he knew it.
Excuse me, but if Avondale is losing money, the fact that meters aren't read only adds to it, and they are collecting less money due to continuous under estimating. Will THAT be brought up...no. How about the fact that they say last year they lost money. What about the year before, and before that? The mill has been closed for awhile. Why wasn't the rates addressed then? People keep making these stupid remarks about residents getting a break for 28 years. Hey...residents didn't control the rates, they did. It was up to THEM, NOT US.
And just to state the obvious. They stated 21000 gallon on our bill. We currently have only used 5000 gallons. There is NO way we will reach 21000 this month. More like 9000.
Speaking of asbestos, you might be interested in learning that it was common to use asbestos-cement drinking water pipes back in the 60s and 70s. The Graniteville/Vaucluse systems might have asbestos water pipes.
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