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The Honolulu Advertiser

Posted on: Friday, January 21, 2005

Maui County water rates may rise 12%

By Timothy Hurley
Advertiser Maui County Bureau

WAILUKU, Maui — The Maui County Department of Water Supply is proposing a 12 percent rate increase to offset rising operating and maintenance costs and help pay for major construction projects.

Starting next week, a series of meetings will be held across Maui and Moloka'i to discuss the proposal to establish the county's first increase in rates in four years, effective July 1.

Under the proposal, water rates for most customers will increase about 12.2 percent, while the rates for agricultural concerns will rise by about 7.2 percent. For a household with a regular ?-inch meter that uses 30,000 gallons in a two-month billing cycle — the average use in windward Ha'iku, for example — this would mean an increase of about $7.

The proposal is expected to generate an estimated $3.4 million in additional revenue each year and will go a long way in paying for maintenance and needed projects, said Jacky Takakura, water department representative.