Rate increase to hit Boise residents’ water bills at end of month. Here’s how much
Rates for water in the Boise area just went up.
An application from Veolia, the water giant serving large portions of Ada County, was approved by the Idaho Public Utilities Commission on Friday, but at a much lower price hike than the company initially sought.
The state’s PUC approved a rate increase of 7.06% that went into effect Monday. Veolia originally asked to raise rates by 24.1%, drawing the ire of several residents at a public hearing in March.
Residential customers will see an average increase of $2.21 on their monthly bills, or about 7 cents per day, according to a news release.
Madeline Wyatt, a spokesperson for Veolia, told the Idaho Statesman by phone that the company will abide by the percentage increase approved by the utilities commission.
“They took a look at everything we provided to them and certainly spent their time wisely looking through it,” Wyatt said. “I can’t say that we’re disappointed or not disappointed. We’re just pleased that they came to their decision in the time frame they identified and that the rate case has been settled.”
The PUC came to a decision after months of public workshops, hearings and deliberation. Veolia filed its application for the increase last September.
Veolia said it was requesting the additional revenue to recoup money it spent on investments in the Treasure Valley’s water quality over the past two years. The company, based in France, said it spent $70 million to replace old pipes, build storage tanks, upgrade treatment plants and improve fire suppression efforts.
The rate hike will be applied equally across all customer classes: residential, commercial, public authority and private fire service.
Veolia has about 105,000 customers in Ada County.
“As we study the commission’s ruling, we remain committed to serving this community and protecting public health in everything we do,” said Marshall Thompson, vice president and general manager of Veolia’s operations in Idaho, in a statement. “Veolia is proud to serve Idaho customers with reliable infrastructure and efficient daily operations.”
This story was originally published May 1, 2023 at 4:04 PM.
