East Williston sues over water rate hike

The Village of East Williston has sued the adjacent Village of Williston Park over a 28 percent water rate increase put in place earlier this year.

Under the new rate, Williston Park bills East Williston customers $3.83 per thousand gallons of water, up from the previous rate of $2.99 per thousand gallons.

The new East Williston rate is equal to what commercial customers pay. The Williston Park residential rate is $3.47 per thousand gallons.

The average American uses 100 gallons of water per day and a four-person household uses about 12,000 gallons per month, according to WaterSense, a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency program.

East Williston, in court documents filed in State Supreme Court in Nassau in July, called the rate increase arbitrary, irrational and perhaps based on a belief that East Williston is "a captive consumer."

The two villages have had a water supply agreement for decades and, as part of it, East Williston never installed its own wells. The village now has no place to build its own wells, East Williston Mayor David E. Tanner said. The village is seeking to rescind the increase and receive any relief the judge may order.

Before the rate change, East Williston customers paid 78 percent of what Williston Park customers were charged. The reduced rate was put in place because East Williston does all billing, maintains the water mains and performs water system repairs when necessary within the village, Tanner said.

This year's rate increase means the village is being "double-charged" by paying rates that include Williston Park's administrative costs, Tanner said.

Williston Park Mayor Paul M. Erhbar said his village was in the process of responding to the lawsuit. "I do believe we will prevail in court," he said.

East Williston customers pay a total of $5.47 per thousand gallons because the village bills its customers additionally to cover administrative costs, meter replacement and to create a contingency account for exploring alternative water suppliers, Tanner said.

He said the village is in various stages of talks with Mineola, Old Westbury and Albertson.