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APPLE VALLEY – A major concern to Apple Valley residents in recent years has been the consistent increases in their cost of water. The Town of Apple Valley announced on Monday that Liberty Utilities recently filed a request to the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) to impose yet another surcharge of approximately 1% to the current customers. Town officials said that this request has come only three months following a 4.88% increase followed by an announced 2-year rate freeze.

This request, known as an “advice letter” is requesting this since the Town residents conserved water, which reduced their income. This increase, according to the advice letter, the new surcharge will add $245,482 to Liberty’s revenue. According to the Town of Apple Valley news release, no formal notice of the proposed surcharge will be provided to the customer prior to the CPUC approval. “Instead, customers can expect to receive notice of the increase at the same time they receive their first bill with the higher rates,” Town officials said in the news release.

Those interested in fighting this proposed increase have 20 days to file a protest with the CPUC. “We’re perplexed by Liberty’s decision to ask for almost a quarter million in additional revenue just six months after publicly announcing a rate freeze,” said Mayor Scott Nassif. “In January, Liberty’s Vice President and General Manager promised transparency and accountability. Springing this increase on residents without any advance written notice certainly doesn’t seem to fit with that theme”