Tens of thousands

Thousands of Seminole residents likely to see bills double

of Seminole County homeowners will see their water bills rise in the coming months after the Public Service Commission approves a water and wastewater rate increase.

Tens of thousands of Seminole County homeowners will see their water bills rise dramatically in coming months after the state Public Service Commission on Thursday unanimously approved a request by Utilities Inc. of Florida to nearly double water and wastewater rates.

Company officials argued that the rate increase is the result of the company consolidating its various rates into one rate across the state after merging its 12 subsidiaries into a single entity last year.

Consolidation of rates means that customers that live mostly in west Seminole and have Utilities Inc. of Sanlando — which includes about 10,000 customers in the Wekiva, Sweetwater Oaks, Sabal Point and Springs neighborhoods — will see the greatest increases. Customers in other areas of the state likely will see decreases as part of the adjustment.

“To say we’re disappointed is an understatement,” said Public Counsel J.R. Kelly, who represents utility customers in front of the Public Service Commission. “The utility filed a haphazard case. And they got rewarded for filing a poor case.”

A customer of Utilities Inc. of Sanlando — one of the subsidiaries acquired by the company — using 5,000 gallons a month, for example, now pays about $35 a month for water and wastewater, among the lowest rates in Florida. But under the new rates approved, that same homeowner will see the bill jump to roughly $72 a month, a nearly 110 percent jump, although exact rates won’t be calculated until next week.

The rate increases also will help Utilities Inc. pay for about $35 million in capital improvements. The company also wanted the rate increase to give its employees pay raises and increase pensions.

Jason Howard, a resident of the Sweetwater Oaks neighborhood in west Seminole, was angered by the rate increase. He’s opposed to Utilities Inc. boosting rates in his area to help pay for improvements in other areas.

“Utilities Inc. knew the numbers when they purchased Sanlando Utilities,” he said. “They knew at that time what the rates