Water Wars

Upset Customers Small community in Baldwin County faces possible merge/take-over with utilities giant

by Pat Peterson

Published: Tue, April 08, 2008 - 4:31 pm CST

The Whitehouse Fork Water System could soon be controlled by an outside agency. North Baldwin Utilities in Bay Minette wants to merge with Whitehouse and eventually control the small, non-profit agency. The merger would be N-B-U's 5th merger in the past five years.

"Why would we want to give away something that Whitehouse has built?" says Whitehouse water customer James Johnson.

"This is a small community and we trust Whitehouse Water," says customer Teresa Crenshaw. "They want to come in and raise our rates and tell us what to do and this water system has been doing just fine for the past 40 years."

N-B-U general manager Jason Padgett says he doesn't want a hostile take-oever. Padgett says N-B-U would strengthen Whitehouse Water.

"In fact, those customers would get a 33 percent decrease on their water bills," says Padgett. "This isn't about us, being the bad guys and coming in and giving them a low-ball figure then raising prices dramatically. If for some reason, those residents don't want to merge, then we'll continue to have our good relationship with those people regardless."

Currently, N-B-U sells water to Whitehouse and has done so for years. Padgett says the merger makes sense. But don't tell that to Bay Minette attorney Bob Wills, who has been hired by Whitehouse to look out for the people's best interest.

"If they take this system over, even though they're offering lower rates for two years, they will, in essence, control all the water in North Baldwin County," says Wills.

Whitehouse Water's two-thousand customers voted by proxy on whether or not to merge. Results from the vote will be released at a board meeting Tuesday night at Dixie Elementary School.

WKRG.com » News Stream » Local