During November, the Pleasant Prairie Water Utility sent a letter to the Public Service Commission of Wisconsin requesting the ability to intervene in the Kenosha Water Utility's application to increase water rates. Pleasant Prairie's Water Utility purchases all of its water from the Kenosha Water Utility.

Pleasant Prairie turned to the Kenosha Water Utility to obtain a safe supply of drinking water after finding Radium (a naturally occurring, cancer causing element) in the groundwater supply during the late 1980s. Pleasant Prairie is charged wholesale rates for water by the Kenosha Utility, making the rate substantially higher for Pleasant Prairie water customers than other Kenosha Water Utility customers.

A change in the wholesale rates charged by the Kenosha Water Utility could significantly impact the Pleasant Prairie utility and its rate payers. Village Administrator Mike Pollocoff explained, "On behalf of our residents, the Village would like to ensure that the rate being charged to Pleasant Prairie and its water customers is an appropriate amount related to the actual cost for Kenosha's Water Utility to provide this service in Pleasant Prairie."

The Village has hired the financial consulting firm Baker Tilly Virchow Krause, LLP and the law offices of Stafford Rosenbaum, LLP to assist in the evaluation of the Kenosha Water Utility's cost for providing water to those in Pleasant Prairie. The Wisconsin Public Service Commission (PSC) is reviewing the Kenosha Water Utility's requested water rate increase. The PSC is expected to make a final decision related to the increase during the spring of 2013.

More information about Pleasant Prairie's Water Utility is available by clicking here. There you can find information related to water quality, well permits and well water safety, seasonal tips, plumbing tips, and more.