Two Republicans who represent Maricopa in the Arizona House of Representatives say state utility regulators are failing Pinal County residents.

Reps. Teresa Martinez and Chris Lopez sent a letter yesterday to the Residential Utility Consumer Office, also known as RUCO, criticizing the agency’s lack of response to Legislative District 16 residents who sought help in two pending Picacho Water & Sewer Company rate cases.

Constituents reached out to RUCO after the utility filed for a rate increase that residents of Eloy’s Robson Ranch neighborhood call excessive and unfair. They said RUCO was slow to respond and ultimately refused to intervene.

“RUCO exists to stand up for utility consumers, not ignore them,” Martinez said. “Our constituents are understandably frustrated. They’re facing steep hikes from a foreign-owned utility, and when they turned to the governor’s office for help, they got silence and a refusal. They deserve better.”

Sen. T.J. Shope (R-Coolidge), who represents Maricopa in the Arizona Senate, also signed the letter to RUCO Director Cynthia Zwick.

The lawmakers ask Zwick to explain how RUCO logs and tracks consumer calls, how quickly it responds and who handled constituent contacts in the Picacho cases. It also requests the dates calls were received and when responses were provided.

“We’re pressing for answers because these families deserve accountability,” Lopez said. “Ratepayers shouldn’t be left in the dark when they turn to the very office meant to advocate for them.”

What does this mean for Maricopa?

One of five open RUCO cases statewide is a proposed 19% rate increase for local customers filed by Maricopa-based Global Water Resources in February, according to the state utility watchdog. Global Water cites inflation, rising infrastructure costs and rapid population growth in Maricopa as the driving factors.

The application seeks to generate $4.2 million in additional annual revenue. A typical Maricopa household using 5,500 gallons per month would see its bill rise from $35.73 to $40.76.

Despite those justifications, many residents have filed objections, calling the fees excessive and warning that the high base charges discourage conservation and place an unfair burden on ratepayers. Others raised concerns about water quality and questioned the long-term sustainability of the area’s groundwater supply.

The temperature only turned up further this month when Maricopa City Council pressed Global Water officials over the August E. coli detection in the city’s water system. While the utility emphasized the water was safe and in compliance, some residents left the meeting unconvinced, demanding better communication and stronger accountability from both the company and city leaders.

Public comment sessions on the Global Water case are scheduled for Oct. 8 and Dec. 15 at the Arizona Corporation Commission’s Phoenix office. The December session will include an evidentiary hearing with testimony from commission staff, Global Water and consumer advocates.

Lawmakers say if RUCO responds by tracking and responding to every complaint, it could strengthen Maricopa residents’ influence in their ongoing rate case.