Irmo Mayor Barry Walker and Town Council feel good about new Blue Granite water and sewer rates.

The controversial out-ofstate owned company wanted 56% more for sewer, but the Public Service Commission approved only 24.4%.

The new rates were delayed until Sept. 1.

The Town Council authorized town attorney Jake Moore to intervene for the customers, Walker said.

The council urged the PSC to hold an evening hearing in Irmo where Blue Granite customers spoke directly to the PSC in a packed room.

Blue Granite wanted to go from $65.08 to $101.30 a month, an increase of $35.92 (56%), Rob Brockman of the PSC said.

According to Brockman, Blue Granite wanted to raise other rates, too.

You will find a synopses of the PSC ruling on water and sewer rates at https://dms.psc.sc.gov/Attachments/Matter/cd4fca12-f18d-44a5-bea9-76d34fc232c3 .

The PSC ordered Blue Granite to give a $10.59 credit to sewer customers because it over collected federal taxes, Walker said.

The mayor accused the company of hiking rates while “delivering mediocre service to its customers.

“The PSC agreed that customers complaints and unresponsive customer service is a problem,” he said.

The PSC told Blue Granite it must track complaints and report quarterly on their efforts to improve response and customer satisfaction.

The PSC denied Blue Granite’s request to pass along to their customers:

• The cost of legal expenses in the Town of Lexington condemnation of its pump station leaking raw sewage into the Saluda River.

• Moving and lease costs of its new Greenville office.

Walker said the PSC agreed flat rate billing is a burden to older customers who use less water.

The PSC ordered the company to find out what it will take to convert billing to volume use and obtain monthly water use data from the City of Columbia within 120 days – what the Irmo Council calls “Truth in Billing.”