The Water Service Corporation of Kentucky has proposed a water rate increase for the city of Middlesboro for the second time in the past year. The new rates sought would equal an increase of approximately 38 percent. Below are the charges as of a June 2019 rate change, compared with the proposed rate change that would go into effect July 1, 2020.

Representatives of Water Service Corporation of Kentucky could not be reached for comment as of press time.

Karen Wilson, executive advisor with the Kentucky Public Service Commission, said no date has been set at this time for a hearing on the rate increase request, and she had no further information on the proposal.

 

Service charge per month for all service areas

Meter size    Charge as of June 2019    Proposed monthly charge

5/8”           $11.45………………………….$15.84

3/4”           $11.45………………………….$15.84

1”               $28.63…………………………$39.60

1.5”             $57.25…………………………$79.19

2”               $91.60…………………………$126.70

3”               $171.75………………………..$237.56

4”               $286.25………………………$395.94

6”               $572.50………………………$791.88

 

Volumetric rates – All service areas

As of June 2019, all service areas would pay $5.00 per 1,000 gallons used up to 100,000 gallons of water. Any beyond that would cost $3.35 per 1,000 gallons. The chart below shows the proposed increase to $7.548 per 1,000 gallons up to 100,000 gallons, and all over 100,000 gallons would be $5.208 per 1,000 gallons.

The proposed wholesale water rate would be $2.214 per 1,000 gallons, and the opt-in low income rate would be $5.926 per 1,000 gallons. Residential customers can apply for a low-income rate through third-party verification of income below the federal poverty level. The federal poverty level is defined at www.census.gov. According to the website, 11.8% of Americans were under the poverty level in 2018, and 16.9% of Kentucky residents were under the poverty level. The site indicated that 31.3% of Bell County residents were under the poverty level.

In addition, the document indicated that monthly fire protection charges for fire hydrants municipally owned by Middlesboro would increase from $7.40 per hydrant to $10.24 per hydrant. Private hydrants and sprinklers would increase from $33.50 per hydrant or sprinkler to $46.34 per unit. Also, residents of the Ambleside subdivision would see an increase from $3.33 per customer to $4.61 per customer.