This could be our last chance to speak out before a Public Service Commission decision on Suez plans for your water for the next 5 years. Your participation was critical in stopping the desalination project. Now is the critical next step, to ensure that Rockland gets the plans that put us on the right path for the future.

Now is the time to tell the PSC and the governor:

• NO to corporate bailout of $54.1 million for Suez’s failed desalination project!
• YES to strong water conservation plans!

Come out: Public Hearing on Suez Plans
When: Thursday, September 29, 6 p.m.
Where: Rockland County Legislature, 11 New Hempstead Rd, New City, NY 10956 (plenty of parking behind the building)

Suez seeks to charge Rockland $54.1 million for its failed desalination project. Rockland should not be stuck with the costs of corporate mismanagement.

The proposed rate increase for average residents could total as much as 36.72% over five years. Rockland rates are already among the highest in the country.

Rockland needs strong water conservation plans. Instead, Suez proposes a plan that will do only the required minimum. The company has wasted a critical opportunity to provide a robust, cutting-edge plan to address water needs through the smartest, most sustainable and cost-effective methods.

Suez proposes plans would provide the minimum of reporting and public transparency. We need frequent reporting to hold the company accountable.

It’s time for the Public Service Commission to make sure Rockland gets the cutting edge water conservation program we deserve! Smart water management is the right thing for the environment and public health and it will save ratepayers millions of dollars.

Want more information? Read below for more talking points:

Suez NY and the staff of the PSC have filed a proposed settlement (called a “Joint Proposal”) with the PSC on September 2nd. The Conservation Plan contained in the Joint Proposal is far from a model program, however.

Suez NY has wasted the opportunity to provide a robust, cutting-edge plan to address water needs through the smartest, most sustainable and cost-effective methods, and instead has proposed a plan that will only do the bare minimum.

Suez’s proposal also does little to better detect leaks and repair its notoriously leaky infrastructure. Suez NY proposes to adopt a new rate structure despite questions about underlying customer classification data, with no commitment to undertake a proper classification study until its next rate filing.

Scenic Hudson, Riverkeeper and the Rockland Water Coalition commissioned an expert study to examine water conservation opportunities in Rockland County. This study concluded that there was cost-effective opportunity to double conservation and water loss reduction at minimal extra cost.

In short, the program proposed by Suez NY sets targets that are too low and does little to truly incentivize water efficiency, while providing little to no transparency or accountability.

Not only is smart water management good for the environment and public health, it will save ratepayers millions of dollars.

The way to avoid another expensive misstep like the abandoned desalination plant, and to achieve a sustainable future water supply for Rockland County at the same time, is through greater efficiency and an effective water conservation program. New York has an immediate opportunity to be a national leader in water conservation. Having already seen the consequences of poor water planning in the form of a hefty bill for a white elephant desalination plant, We call on the PSC to make Rockland County a model for water conservation in New York.

From http://www.sustainablerockland.org/hearing-september-29/