Increased water costs to the town of Signal Mountain and Walden’s Ridge Utility District due to Tennessee American Water’s requested rate increase will trickle down to residents.
It could be a deluge.
TAW, which serves nearly 400,000 people across the state through secondary providers, is asking for an 11 percent increase across the board on water usage up to 45,000 CCF, about 748 gallons. Anything over that each month would accrue a 93 percent increase on the additional water used.
Waldens Ridge Emergency Services alone used 1,564 gallons of water in the month of June, according to representative Andrew Fisher.
“On average three to four times a year we pass that amount [45,000 CCF],” said Signal Mountain Town Manager Honna Rogers. “If history continues [Tennessee Regulatory Authority] won’t give them that big of an increase, but they give them typically something. Last year [Tennessee American] asked for a 23 percent increase and got 15 percent. Ninety-three percent, even a portion of that is pretty big.”