Tom Roberts: What water surcharge will do

The March 10 news article “Aqua NC quietly files to raise rates 5 percent” missed an important point. The state’s water and wastewater surcharge is helping Aqua North Carolina improve drinking water and sewer service for families throughout North Carolina.

Since everything we do is reviewed and approved by the state, nothing we do is quiet, nor do we want it to be. Aqua has communicated regularly with the media about our new filter projects over the past few months.

I’d like to give some background on why these projects are necessary.

Naturally occurring iron and manganese exist in the groundwater in communities throughout North Carolina. These minerals can discolor water and affect its taste, and our customers have told us that they want the problem fixed.

The state surcharge has already enabled Aqua to install 17 filters in neighborhoods throughout the Triangle, and these filters are working. Many more customers need and want these filters.

More than a dozen states use a surcharge like North Carolina’s to help water utilities fix our nation’s critical infrastructure while minimizing the impact on customer bills. The North Carolina Utilities Commission reviews and approves everything we do – twice! And that’s the way it should be.

This story was originally published March 21, 2016 at 5:02 PM with the headline "Tom Roberts: What water surcharge will do."