Yuma County residents filled the county Board of Supervisors Auditorium on Wednesday where some told the head of the state agency that decides utility rates and a representative of the water company that serves them that they feel their concerns about higher than reasonable rates, faulty meters and poor water quality are going unheard.
Residents were invited by Yuma County government officials to share their concerns about private water systems, including water rates, quality and pressure.
Customers of the Cactus State Utility Operating Company, including some in the Tierra Mesa Estates neighborhood as KAWC previously reported, say they and some of their neighbors are getting bills as much as 500 to 900 percent higher than the same time last year.
Arizona Corporation Commission Chairman Nick Myers joined the meeting virtually as more than a dozen residents voiced their frustrations with a commission and a water company they say is ignoring their concerns in a difficult economic climate. Some residents also received a letter recently that Cactus State will be applying for a second rate increase before the ACC.
"The current rate increase has placed an extraordinary burden on our community," said resident Blenda Dale. "Residents are entitled to ask why we are facing an additional rate increase so soon after the last one (in late 2025)."
Fellow Tierra Mesa resident Gary Skinner mentioned a concern among other speakers that the meters that have been installed in people's homes are failing in Yuma's extreme heat and that leads to faulty meter readings/
"You're overreading us by thousands of gallons," Skinner told two Cactus State employees who listening in on the meeting virtually. "And this isn't isolated to Tierra Mesa. There are about 40 rural water systems around Arizona."
Customers asked Myers who they can send their information to though they said they have sent correspondence to ACC and Cactus State officials and spoken to them on the phone but feel their concerns are falling on deaf ears.
"We trusted the Arizona Corporation Commission to do the right thing... but they have failed us" said Cynthia Valencia, who lives in the Rancheros Bonitos neighborhood also served by Cactus State. "We are asking you to hold Cactus State accountable for their... predatory business practices."
Some residents also spoke about uranium that was found in water that is higher than safe levels for drinking water. The company has provided potable drinking water but some residents have paid for their own reverse osmosis (RO) systems.
Aaron Silas, vice president of customer experience and regulatory operations for Central States Water Resources, the parent company for Cactus State, was not an announced speaker but joined virtually to respond to customers. Silas said the company would replace faulty meters but asked for patience as Cactus State worked to schedule appointments.
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Stay tuned to KAWC to hear more from Cactus State customers who are asking for transparency and accountability.
