If Maricopa residents don’t want their water bills to rise by nearly 20%, they’ll get one final opportunity to speak up at the Arizona Corporation Commission’s last public hearing on Dec. 15.

Global Water Resources, the for-profit parent company of Santa Cruz Water Company and Palo Verde Utilities, is seeking a 19.7% increase for water and an 8% increase for wastewater. The Maricopa-based company, which serves roughly 80,000 residents, filed for new permanent rates in March.

In a rare twist, state regulatory staff say Maricopa’s rates should decrease, not increase.

Dozens of residents have already submitted formal objections to the ACC, describing GWR’s prices as excessive and unpredictable. Many cite high base fees, unexplained charges and monthly bills that regularly exceed $100.

In

See Full Page