LEXINGTON, S.C. — The Public Service Commission held the first of seven public hearings in the potential rate increase of Blue Granite Water.
On Monday night, dozens of ratepayers spoke out against the rate case that would increase their water bills by 35-55 percent and sewer bills by 56 percent.
"Just because it's legally right, don't make it morally right," says one ratepayer.
"How do we even know if we are paying the right amount," asks one woman who has been living in the the Town of Lexington for years.
Some customers even compared Blue Granite's rate increase to that of VC Summer.
"This is VC Summer 2.0 and we're being taken advantage of. It ain't going to happen."
Blue Granite Water says the increase will help them offset increased cost from smaller municipalities, as well as pay for capital improvements.
"Since the last rate case we've invested $23 million across the state," says Reese Hannon, communications and community coordinator for Blue Granite. "We will certainly listen to what our customers say and we will go back and have meetings and follow up with customers that we hear from tonight."
The last rate increase was proposed in 2017, raising water rates by 13 percent and sewer between 14 and 24 percent.
"If we look back historically on how this pans out, it's always the people that are hardest working that are getting punished for this," says Representative Chris Wooten, R-Lexington.
Representative Wooten hopes the public service commission will truly listen to the ratepayers concerns.
"That's what I'm encouraging them to do, listen to the people. Look at the input from all of the people here, look at all of the people who showed up."
The next public hearing will take place Thursday, January 30, 2020, in Irmo. It begins at 6pm at the Irmo Municipal Building.