Weatherly Borough’s manager on Monday addressed utility concerns, including increasing electrical costs ahead and drinking water concerns.

Harold Pudliner discussed the borough’s electricity utility, which will be seeing rate increases again.

The borough had to raise its rates 15% last year due to an increase in wholesale electricity rates from the PJM Interconnection. Thirteen states saw electricity rates rise due to PJM increases.

Pudliner said that PJM conducts an electricity auction every year to supplement the electricity supply for peak consumption periods, such as summer heat waves when everyone is running air conditioning.

Rates from this year’s auction were up 25% from last year, and those higher rates will go into effect for next year, Pudliner said. One of the reasons is that there are fewer plants, such as coal-fired generators, operating and bidding on providing this service, he said.

“Naturally, it brings the numbers up,” he said. “What you’re looking at next year is 25% higher cost in the auctions than before. You’ll start seeing it in your bills now, and we had forewarned you.

“It’s not just us. It’s everybody in 13 states, whether it’s PPL or Med Ed, everybody has the same increase. We just have to accommodate this increase so we can pay our bills.”

People will see the increase coming in bills going forward, and also next June, when there will be another increase, he said.

Maybe the state or federal government can do something about these rises in electricity costs, Pudliner said, adding, “But that’s up to them.”

Water system

The borough is aware of reports of blue water on social media due to well maintenance and soda ash used to correct pH levels, Pudliner said.

Two wells needed maintenance — one part was sent out for fabrication and the other one’s pump died after decades of service, he said. The borough can only add soda ash to adjust pH in two of the three wells, and that should now be working through the system.

“That should be starting to diminish now that we’re back on well two,” Pudliner said. “You’ll see that it’ll get back to normal again.”

Mayor/Council President Norman Richie said that there’s nothing wrong with the borough’s water.

Pudliner also said they’re working on a problem with dirty water on Briar Lane, and working on blowing off the line to remove debris.

The borough made one attempt without success, and found there is another blow off valve farther down, and ran that for a couple of hours, he said. They have to wait a couple days to see if it clears.

“We’re in the process of trying to get that taken care of,” Pudliner said.