Hartford Regional Water Authority, MDC, votes to Offer Massive Discounts to Super-User Niagara Bottling
Proposed Ordinance Changes (W1A and S12X) to the yearly Metropolitan District, which supplies water to 8 member communities in greater Hartford, were passed on March 2, 2020. The district, which is financially struggling with needed infrastructure repairs, a consent decree to stop its sewage overflows into the CT River, and decreasing water usage, has focused on a plan to incentivize its one water super-user: Niagara Bottling of California. The MDC has offered a combined discount- labeled an "economic development rate" although it currently applies to only one industry- of nearly 50% (20% on water rates and 75% on Clean Water Project Charges on water use averaging over 600,000 gallons/day each month) in its effort to insure Niagara opens a 4th robotic bottling line and maximizes its water use at 1.8 million gallons/day. They also hope to attract more water bottlers as a way to increase water revenues. Niagara Bottling has been steadily increasing its water use without the aid of any discounts and the MDC Independent Consumer Advocate cautioned against the ordinance changes. The MDC could lose out on up to $2.6 million/year in revenue that would otherwise result if the private corporation paid residential rates at those same water usage levels. Those funds could be used to more substantially lower resident rates, support the Clean Water Project or subsidize water assistance programs. See our BLOG for a more detailed analysis.....
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