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Twin Lakes Utilities

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Twin Lakes Utilities, Inc. (TLUI) provides service to the Lakes of the Four Seasons area in Lake and Porter Counties. Please click here for information on the utility's pending rate case.

The IURC this year modified a settlement agreement regarding water and sewer rate surcharges to pay for infrastructure improvements. Under the Commission order, the flat, monthly residential sewer rate rose by $2.36 with no changes in water rates.

The utility's original request would have raised monthly water bills by 22 cents for every 1,000 gallons used, with sewer rate rising by $2.83.  In July 2015, the OUCC issued a news release inviting consumer comments.

Indiana law (IC 8-1-31) allows investor-owned water and sewer utilities to seek expedited rate recovery as often as once per year to replace infrastructure (such as aging distribution lines) that has exceeded its useful life.

  • The law allows an investor-owned water or sewer utility to impose a surcharge to earn a return on investment used to replace aging distribution or collection system infrastructure since its last rate case. Without this law, a utility would be required to wait until its next rate case to begin earning this return.
  • A surcharge may not be imposed for plant additions used to connect new customers.
  • Under the law, total surcharges cannot exceed 10 percent of the base revenue amount approved in the utility’s most recent general base rate case.
  • The surcharge, which investor-owned water and sewer utilities may make between general base rate cases, requires IURC approval to take effect. A Commission order is required within 60 days of the utility’s filing.
  • By law, the OUCC must file its report within 30 days of the utility’s request. The OUCC’s review is generally limited to whether the infrastructure additions qualify under the statute and whether the surcharge has been calculated correctly.

TLUI's current base rates were approved in April 2014. The Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission's (IURC's) rate case order approved a settlement agreement between the utility and the OUCC. It affected average residential rates as follows:

 

Previous rates

Original utility request

OUCC testimony (Dec. 2013)

Settlement amount

Water (5,000 gallons)

$28.38

$34.02

$30.71

$32.21

Sewer (flat monthly rate)

$45.14

$50.88

$46.33

$49.00

The OUCC issued an October 8, 2013 news release to invite consumer comments. To review all public documents in the case, please click here and enter docket number 44388.

Previous water and sewer base rates for Twin Lakes Utilities, Inc. were approved on February 22, 2012.

12-30-16