FARMINGTON — The Farmington Falls Standard Water District is seeking a 15 percent rate increase over the next two years to meet federal and state testing requirements.
A public hearing will take place at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 16, at the Farmington Falls Fire Station.
An increase of 7.5 percent, if approved, would be effective Oct. 1. A second increase of 7.5 percent is proposed to become effective Oct. 1, 2018.
The rate now is $25.69 a month for 3,000 gallons, and $3.30 per 1,000 gallons after that.
The last rate increase was in January 2010.
The increase is being implemented over two years to ease the financial burden on customers, April Mulherin, chairman of the the district’s board of trustees, said.
“Our customers are our neighbors,” she said.
The district has fewer than 100 customers and is subject to the same expenses for testing to meet federal and state requirements larger districts, she said.
Governed by a five-member volunteer board of trustees, the district maintains a 50-foot gravel-packed well of nonchlorinated water. The well is at Chesterville Hill Road and Route 156 in Chesterville.
The nonprofit district employs a part-time licensed operator through Maine Rural Water Association. There are two part-time bookkeepers and a meter reader.
Mulherin told trustees, “We are a community neighborhood. Our goal is to help the community have safe, quality drinking water in a time when you can’t take that for granted. We are proud of the fact we have quality, untreated water.”