Lynbrook water district residents get a break from higher rates

Score one for customers in New York American Water's Lynbrook area.

The Public Service Commission announced earlier this week that it has decided to defer a 27 percent rate in April and instead to hike rate 6 percent, or $2.01 a month.

The PSC said in a statement that had it not taken such action, the company would have begun collecting for two years of increases, or more than $21 million, from Lynbrook customers on April 1. The decision "postpones" collections of some surcharges until the PSC can review the matter against a pending acquisition. New York American Water is to be acquired by Liberty Utilities for $608 million.

American Water said that despite the reduced rate hike, it will still be able to "move forward with critical infrastructure investment and the roll-out of new technology that will allow customers better visibility of their usage and more control over their bills."

State Sen. Todd Kaminsky, a Long Beach Democrat, has pushed for the reduced rare. He said in a statement that the rates are "still out of control and the company needs to be held accountable."