RIPUC TO VOTE ON NEW WATER RATES

Tuesday, February 18, 2025

First Rate Increase since 2019 Expected for Aquidneck Island Customers

NEWPORT, R.I. (TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 2025) – The Rhode Island Public Utilities Commission (RIPUC) will be holding a Public Hearing on Thursday, Feb. 20th on a proposed rate increase plan for Newport Water Division customers.

If approved, it would mark the first time that water rates for operations and maintenance have been changed since 2019 and follows a debt service-related rate increase in 2022.

And while the increase would lag behind the rate of inflation over the same period, Newport Water Division customers in Middletown, Newport, and Portsmouth should expect to see an increase in their water bills beginning later this Spring.

The proposed new rates are part of a multiyear plan detailed in RIPUC Docket No. 24-30-WW, which was originally filed in 2024 and can be found in its entirety at https://ripuc.ri.gov/Docket-24-30-WW.

Following an extensive review period, a settlement agreement was reached late 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. That agreement was further refined during a Feb. 4th hearing, and commissioners are expected to take a vote on the final proposed rates when they meet on Thursday.

Under the new rates, a residential customer who uses 5,000 gallons of water per month will see an increase of $127.44 per year, or roughly $10.62 per month. This increase will likely to go into effect on either March 1^st or April 1^st, with billing increases to be seen approximately 40 days later.

For those interested in watching the proceedings in real-time, the meeting is scheduled to take place at 10 a.m. in Hearing Room A, 89 Jefferson Blvd. in Warwick, or via livestream at video.ibm.com/channel/WqQyXw296dg.