COLUMBUS, Ind. – The Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission (IURC) reminds residents that there is a public field hearing this Wednesday, Sept. 17, at 6 p.m., in the Cal Brand meeting room at Columbus City Hall, 123 Washington St., in Columbus. The purpose of the field hearing is to receive public testimony regarding the Southwestern Bartholomew Water Corporation’s pending rate increase.
If you can’t attend the meeting, the Indiana Office of Utility Consumer Counselor (OUCC) invites public comments on the rate request through October 1 via mail or at their website. OUCC, the state agency representing consumer interests in cases before the IURC, uses its technical and legal resources to review the utility’s proposal. The OUCC testimony is due Oct. 8.
Consumers who wish to submit written comments for the case record may do so via the form at www.in.gov/oucc/2361.htm or by mail at:
Public Comments
Indiana Office of Utility Consumer Counselor (OUCC)
115 W. Washington St., Suite 1500 SOUTH
Indianapolis, IN 46204
Consumer comments will be included in the formal case record for Commission review. They should not contain sensitive or personal information, as comments will become viewable and searchable online once posted to the IURC’s online case file. Consumers with questions about commenting can contact the OUCC’s consumer services staff at 1-888-441-2494.
Comments should include the consumer’s name, town, zip code, and a reference to either “IURC Cause No. 46269” or “Southwestern Bartholomew Water.” Consumers with questions about submitting written comments can call the OUCC’s staff toll-free at 1-888-441-2494.
The pending request would raise monthly rates for a residential customer using 4,000 gallons from $50.44 to $75.83. and would be implemented in two phases. In its filing, Southwestern Bartholomew Water cites operating/maintenance costs and infrastructure improvement needs as reasons for requesting the rate hike.
Southwestern Bartholomew Water’s current base rates received IURC approval in 2016 but have since increased to recover the increases in wholesale water charges. The utility serves more than 3,200 customers in Bartholomew and Brown Counties.
A final Commission order is expected in spring 2026.
The OUCC is posting case updates online at www.in.gov/oucc/watersewer/key-cases-by-utility/southwestern-bartholomew-water-corporation/. Case updates are also available through the agency’s monthly electronic newsletter. Consumers can subscribe at www.in.gov/oucc/news/.
