Wanette Residents Shocked By Water Bill Increase

Residents of Wanette in Pottawatomi County felt sticker shock after receiving their water bills for June.

“That’s not what I expected at all, and I was just taken away,” said local resident Whitnee Hobbs.

Hobbs voiced her frustration after being surprised with a nearly $100 increase in her bill compared to the prior month.

Most of her bill represented an increase in the sewer fee.

The town’s mayor, Nathan Gregory, and town clerk, Carla Brandon, declined on-camera interviews with News 9. But, they agreed to allow News 9 to write down what they said.

Gregory emphasized the need for the town’s new infrastructure for its water resources. He said the Wanette Public Works Authority has responded to several leaks in the past year, which also costs the town in lost revenue. The plan to increase rates would compensate for part of the amount needed to improve the overall system.

However, Hobbs and other residents weren’t sold.

Several residents News 9 spoke with said their June bill was their first indication rates had increased. Gregory said the town mailed notices to each of its WPWA customers.

The same residents told News 9 they never received their notice. Likewise, those residents also claim they never knew the change was ever up for discussion on the town’s board of trustees’ agenda.

But Gregory disputes that. He said it is common knowledge the town’s board of trustees meets the second Monday of each month, followed immediately by a meeting of the WPWA board of trustees in the town hall.

He and Brandon said meetings are poorly attended; with most having an audience of none.

The town worked with the Oklahoma Rural Water Association to produce a study determining the amounts of which to increase the water utility rates by. Gregory and Brandon claim it puts the town on-level with other rural communities of its size.