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The Honolulu Advertiser

Updated at 4:27 p.m., Monday, January 7, 2008

Meeting tonight on East Honolulu sewer rate increase

Advertiser Staff

A nearly 17 percent proposed increase in sewer rates for East Honolulu will be the topic of a public meeting at 6 tonight at Haha'ione Elementary School in Hawai'i Kai.

Hawaii-American Water Co., a private company that provides sewer service to more than 30,000 people in Hawai'i Kai and part of Kuli'ou'ou, is seeking approval for a rate increase of 16.7 percent. It is the company's third rate increase request in four years.

If the new rates are approved by the Public Utilities Commission, the sewer bill for residents in single-family homes would rise to $63.65 per month over two years. Residents in multifamily residences such as condominiums would see their bills increase to $53.40 per month.

The company is looking to generate an additional $1.3 million, or about 15.9 percent, in revenue per year. About 42 percent of the additional revenue will cover rising operational costs, while the rest will finance ongoing upgrades to the 40-year-old sewer system, including refurbishing the plant's anaerobic digesters and relining the system's concrete pipes to prevent pipe breaks and disruptions in service, the company has said.

The meeting starts at 6 p.m. at the Haha'ione Elementary School cafeteria at 595 Pepe'ekeo St.