Public Comment - WS-01303A-24-0130 - Epcor Water Arizona Inc. - Jun 12, 2026
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What is the purpose of the Phase 2 public comment proceeding for EPCOR Water Arizona?
Let's go on the record. Good afternoon. Welcome to the Arizona Corporation Commission. My name is Sarah Harpering and I'm the administrative law judge assigned to this matter. This is a public comment proceeding for phase two of docket number WS01303A240130 in the matter of the application of EPCOR Water Arizona Inc. Santan Water and Wastewater Districts for a determination of its water and wastewater utility plant and property for increases in its rates and charges for water and wastewater utility service and for related approvals. Phase two concerns EPCOR's application for an annual rate adjustment mechanism or ARAM. The hearing in phase two is scheduled to commence at 10 a.m. on July 27th, 2026 and to continue as necessary until July 31st, 2026.
I am not going to ask any parties who may be present whether they want to make appearances, and I cannot currently tell if there are any parties on the phone because I have a couple of listen-only people, but it doesn't say who they are. It looks like I maybe, nope, I just lost somebody. Okay, anyway. There are a whole lot of things that I would ordinarily say, and I don't think I need to say them because you're the only one here, so crowd management is not a problem. So I will have you just come up to the podium, if you would, and make sure that the green light is on on the base of the microphone. Do you see it?
Green light's
on. Okay. And I'm going to ask you please to say and also spell your last name. And tell us where you live, and I mean like city, or confirm that you're in the Santan District.
Yes,
ma'am. And then tell us what you think.
Yes, ma'am. My name is Desiree McCollum. I'm from the Santan Valley area. My name is spelled D-E-S-I-R-E-E, last name McCollum, M-C-C-O-L-L-U-M.
I'd like to, please, I brought a copy with the signatures that I've collected. I'd like this letter to go on record, please.
Okay, why don't you, two things. You can bring that up to me right after you're done talking, but also put the mic closer to your mouth because you're kind of quiet.
How does the administrative law judge open the hearing and set procedural rules?
Oh, sorry.
You can move it. It's okay. You don't have to scoot.
Oh, thank you. Can you hear me better?
Yeah. Okay, cool, cool,
cool. All right, I'll bring it to you at the end. IT SAYS WHAT I'M SAYING IS GOOD AFTERNOON, CORPORATION COMMISSIONERS. MY NAME IS DESIREE MCCOLLUM. THE REASON FOR MY PRESENCE TODAY IS TO SPEAK OUT FOR ALL THE MEMBERS OF THE SAN TAM VALLEY AREA THAT CAN'T BE HERE TODAY BUT ARE AS DISGUSTED BY THESE UTILITY RATE INCREASES PROPOSED BY these proposed hikes are outrageous and must not be approved by our commissioners in 2025 we in santan experienced a uh epcor rate increase my increase per month was 16.66 others in santan their rates were higher i was disgusted then and i am even more disgusted today after realizing after realizing that these greedy and unscrupulous EPCOR executives want to increase Santan Valley residents' water and sewer on a yearly basis.
Once a year, the average Americans are given a COLA oil raise, yet that COLA oil raise is nowhere near nowhere near enough to keep up with the cost of living. Example, my last COLA was 2.8%, yet the raise of my EPCOR bill was a whopping 14.5 or 35.2%. What the heck? Who does that? Epcor. For me, that breaks down to a $4.91 increase for me and a $16.66 monthly increase for Epcor. Again, what the heck? What I do not agree with... is that EPCOR should, what I do not agree with is that EPCOR should not be milking our Santan Valley residents dry just because they can. So I do not agree with the CEOs making thousands and millions of dollars a year and milking the average American dry yearly and daily. When you have one company, one servicing, a community, this should not give you the right to raise our rates enormously, and there is nothing that our community members can do to stop the snowball effect.
We must stop this out of control train. Here is an example of an out of control company. When a customer is experiencing hard times, the company decides a customer must pay them a minimum of $300 so that you can make an agreement to pay off the outstanding balance.
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Agenda
6 items
1
What is the purpose of the Phase 2 public comment proceeding for EPCOR Water Arizona?
0:00–2:53
2
How does the administrative law judge open the hearing and set procedural rules?
2:53–6:26
3
What concerns does Desiree McCollum raise about the proposed rate increases?
6:26–10:12
4
Why does McCollum describe the EPCOR rate hike as “out of control” and request an audit?
10:12–13:05
5
What example does McCollum give about the $300 agreement and its impact on customers?
13:05–14:37
6
How do commissioners explain the Annual Rate Adjustment Mechanism (ARAM) and its current status?
14:37–27:32
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