Kentucky county’s troubled water district increasing rates
FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) — Typical monthly water bills for a troubled Kentucky water district will increase to almost $70 a month beginning April 1.
The Kentucky Public Service Commission approved the increase for Martin County on Feb. 15, the Lexington Herald-Leader reported.
A small rural county along the Tug Fork River, Martin County has long been plagued by problems with its drinking water, and cost has long been an issue. The county also has among the highest rates of poverty in Kentucky, making the higher cost of water especially challenging.
A 2019 report by the Appalachian Citizens’ Law Center and Martin County Concerned Citizens found that many of the county’s 4,300 households could not bear the cost of improvements needed to make the water suitable for drinking.
Representatives of the county’s water district had originally requested $56.04 for 4,000 gallons a month, a typical amount, at a hearing in September, a rate they said would be enough for the district to break even. A typical customer will now pay $69.73.
According to the Lexington newspaper, the Martin County water district’s customers were billed $50.18 for using 4,000 gallons of water per month less than a year ago.
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