The Rhode Island Public Utilities Commission (RIPUC) is set to hold a public hearing on Thursday, Feb. 20, to review a proposed rate increase for Newport Water Division customers in Middletown, Newport, and Portsmouth.
If given the green light, the new rates could kick in as soon as March 1 or April 1, with customers seeing the change on their bills about 40 days later.
The City of Newport says that under the new rates, a typical household using 5,000 gallons of water monthly will see their bill go up by $127.44 per year, or about $10.62 each month.
This proposed hike comes after a settlement agreement reached last month between the Water Division, the State of Rhode Island Division of Public Utilities and Carriers, the Town of Middletown, and the Portsmouth Water and Fire District.
While water rates were last adjusted in 2022, that change was tied to debt service rather than day-to-day operational costs. This would mark the first time that water rates for operations and maintenance have been changed since 2019.
For those interested in the nitty-gritty of the multi-year plan, all the details are available in RIPUC Docket No. 24-30-WW, which was filed earlier this year.
Anyone wanting to weigh in can attend the public hearing in person at 10 a.m. in Hearing Room A, 89 Jefferson Blvd. in Warwick. Can’t make it? No problem – you can also tune in via livestream at video.ibm.com/channel/WqQyXw296dg.
