Membership meeting attracts one customer

Pioneer Rural Water District held the 2021 Annual Membership meeting this week, but only one customer took the time to attend. Terry Pruitt, water district general manager, said, “It was a normal meeting with no major news nor any changes to the pro forma budget that we covered at our last meeting.” A couple of factors play into why Pioneer Rural Water is increasing retail charge to its customers in southern Oconee and the upper part of Anderson County.  An increase to affect customers whose use exceeds six thousand gallons a month figures into the new budget approved in May by the Pioneer board of directors.  But also playing a part are the costs associated with the continual problems created by algae blooms in the vicinity of Pioneer’s Lake Hartwell intake.  On the bill of a customer using six thousand gallons a month, Pruitt says the impact will be an additional $2.40 a month.  He says it’s the first Pioneer retail increase since 2018.  The Pioneer board over the next year is budgeting monies to pay for two separate treatments of the algae problem which, for some customers, creates water smell and taste issues.