Sen. Gaughran pushes back against water rate hike

State Sen. James Gaughran is pushing back against another rate increase by New York American Water.
The utility is set to raise rates by April 1. It's part of a state-approved conservation plan from 2017 that increases prices based on water usage.
Customers in Nassau County who use up to 8,000 gallons of water will see their bills go up between 1.8 percent, like in Sea Cliff, to nearly 8 percent in Lynbrook.
"The more water you use, the more money it costs," New York American Water President Lynda DiMenna told News 12 by phone. "The less water you use, the more money you can save."
Gaughran, who used to run the Suffolk County Water Authority, says enough is enough and urges a delay in the rate increase's implementation.
"Just giving American Water the authority to increase rates, even if they're doing it for conservation purposes, is something we just can't have based on their track record," Gaughran says.
New York American Water customers will be getting additional information on the rates, as well as the conservation program, in the mail in the coming weeks.
Last year, state and federal regulators launched a probe into New York American Water after thousands of customers complained about sky-high bills. And in December, the state announced $6 million in credit for water customers.