PICAYUNE – The Pearl River County Utility Authority (PRCUA) Board of Directors has approved a rate adjustment effective June 1st, 2021 for all water and sewer customers in PRCUA service areas.

 

The Mississippi Department of Health requires all water systems to adjust rates every 3-5 years to sufficiently fund all operating expenses, debt service, and prudent surpluses for equipment replacement accounts and emergency repairs. The current rate structure has been in place 5 years. New rates were scheduled for adoption in February 2020, but were postponed due to Coronavirus pandemic economic uncertainties.

 

The rate adjustment is expected to generate 7.5% additional revenue. Compared to the same time period, this adjustment is significantly less than common inflationary measures:

Consumer Price Index +10.9%

Social Security Cost of Living Adjustments +8.2%

 

Residential base usage water/sewer customers using 3,000-gallons or less per month will see no increase to their bill.

 

Average residential water customers using 5,000-gallons per month will see increases of $0.50 per month, or $6.00 per year. Flat rate sewer customers and average residential sewer customers using 5,000-gallons per month will see increases of $1.30 per month, or $15.60 per year.

 

The full proposed schedule of rates and fees and recent audit reports are available at our website:

www.prc-ua.org.

 

Rate adjustments will stabilize cash balances, which recently decreased more than $750,000 due to the Highway 11 Phase 1 Widening Water/Sewer Relocation Project and debt service payments tied to the Picayune Phase 2 Sewer Rehabilitation Project. New rates will also offset inflationary cost pressures in labor, supplies, equipment, repairs, fuel, electricity and environmental compliance.

 

About Pearl River County Utility Authority

 

Pearl River County Utility Authority (PRCUA) is a political subdivision of the State of Mississippi, charged with managing and coordinating water resources and wastewater treatment throughout Pearl River County. PRCUA is a non-taxing entity, with operating revenues of approximately $4.3M per year, exclusively from water and sewer rates and fees. The Authority employs 16 full-time employees who manage 4 water wells, 3 elevated water tanks/treatment facilities, 9 wastewater treatment facilities, 95 pump stations, 950 grinder/STEP stations, and 175+ miles of water and sewer mains to provide safe, reliable water and/or sewer utility services to approximately 20,000 residents of Pearl River County. Board members are appointed by the Pearl River County Board of Supervisors (4), the City of Picayune (2), and the City of Poplarville (1). All business is conducted at regular monthly meetings open to the public. For more information, please visit www.prc-ua.org