BOISE, Idaho – Veolia, a water company that serves over 108,000 customers in Eagle and Boise, has filed a rate review with the Idaho Public Utility Commission (PUC), asking to increase rates for customers by 23 cents per day.

This comes after Veolia has made $74 million in investments since January 1, 2023 – and these improvements are helping water quality, storage capacity and firefighting, Veolia’s press release said.

“They (PUC) will review our application and then decide what costs we can recover, which would result in a new tariff for customers,” said Madeline Wyatt, communications manager at Veolia.

If the PUC approves Veolia’s rate request, rates would increase by $6.77 per month for residential customers and $24.63 per month for commercial customers.

“We have made a total of $74 million in investments over nearly two years,” Wyatt said.

However, customers will receive the same benefits whether their rates increase or not. Wyatt said it’s no longer about forward thinking – and making investments in the future that require money.

“If Veolia wants to continue to invest in the system, we need to be able to recover some funds,” Wyatt said. “The money has to come from somewhere and our customers benefit from the improvements we have made to the system.”

If the application is accepted, Veolia will propose a two-year transition system to reduce the burden on customers.

“Any amount that the Public Utility Commission determines we can recover will be spread out in phases over two years,” Wyatt said.

Veolia’s largest investments included adding treatment capacity to the Columbia Water Treatment Plant and installing new pipes near Five Mile Road – increasing water supply and improving water quality.

“Some of the investments we’ve made are very large, like upgrading the water treatment plant in Columbia, and some of them are very small, just to make sure that fire safety is maintained in a community that may be on the verge of extinction. “a water pipe, etc.,” Wyatt said.

It will take several months for the PUC to make a decision, Wyatt said, but if the public would like to comment, they can use case file number VEO-W-24-01 and file them here or by mail to:

Idaho Public Utilities Commission