Water Company challenges Aldine Ratepayers’ petitions

By ARELENE NICHOLS Special to Northeast News
Texas American Water Company (TWAC) has responded to the emergency motion filed by Aldine Ratepayers Association (ARA). The company is challenging the signatures on the petitions that ARA filed with the emergency motion to suspend the proposed rate increase for 150 days.
Unless petitions are received from 10% of the water utilities customers, their legal challenge to the rate increase will not be scheduled for a hearing.
“Last year we surprised the company when we challenged their rate increase and then showed up at the public hearing with an attorney representing our folks,” said Rep. Kevin Bailey. “It appears that this year the company is preparing to fight us every step of the way. We anticipated their challenge to our petitions and consequently we have been working to collect as many signatures as possible.”

According to Texas American Water’s response, the signatures submitted by ARA appear to fall short of the 10% of customers required to mandate a hearing. TWAC contends that 185 of the 460 signatures are invalid because the name, address or phone number is illegible; the address is not listed as a TWAC customer; the name is a duplicate on another petition; or the name is not a customer of record at the service address.
“Many of the signatures they are challenging are simply a case of the family member who signed the petition not being the family member whose name appears on the water bill, “said Bailey. “ We do not have a list of customers so it puts us at a disadvantage when collecting signatures, but we are certain that we will meet the threshold criteria to move forward with a legal challenge. Since the company listed the signatures they were challenging, volunteers have been able to go back to those households and make sure we have the signature of the person whose name appears on the water bill.”
Bailey went on to explain that petitions are still be collected in three neighborhoods. If you have any questions regarding the petition drive or the contested rate case, please contact the Bailey’s district office of at 281-847-9000.