Aquarion Water company will not be getting the full rate increase it's seeking from customers.  The Connecticut Public Utilities Regulatory Authority has ruled that Aquarion could seek a about half of their proposed 17-percent rate increase. 

PURA disallows ratepayer recovery of charitable contributions, halves Aquarion's proposed employee bonus plan expenses and makes cuts in proposed director and officer liability insurance costs.  The ruling also scaled back proposed inflation-related expenses, increases Aquarion's sales forecasts, and cuts requested acquisition and pension costs. 

Regulators rejected Aquarion's three-year rate proposal, instead approving an 8.6% overall increase, which includes a 2% infrastructure surcharge previously approved as an add-on to customer bills.

Aquarion serves more than 625,000 people in 47 cities and towns throughout Connecticut's Fairfield, New Haven, Hartford, Litchfield, Middlesex and New London Counties.