Carolina Water Service this week informed the South Carolina Public Service Commission the utility would drop its request for a controversial change allowing future rate increases without public hearings and existing levels of state oversight.
That request, which was for a utility system improvement rate, prompted York County to intervene in the case where Carolina Water wants to raise rates 15 to 30 percent statewide.
The utility has more than 9,700 water and sewer customers in York County. The final public service commission hearing on the statewide rate case is April 3 in Columbia.
In a separate case, the county and Carolina Water applied to have the service commission approve its franchise agreement allowing the utility to serve its base in York County for another 25 years.
County leaders have said the agreement gives them more favorable terms should they decide to buy out Carolina Water. A decision on the franchise agreement won’t come until at least late April.