CHARLESTON, W.Va. — West Virginia American Water Company customers could continue to see their bills go up and there’s no telling when it will end.
Company spokesperson Megan Hannah told MetroNews the latest rate hike request they filed with the state Public Service Commission Monday would cover $340 million in water and sewage investments from 2020 through Feb. 2025, but that upgrades to the system will be needed well into the future.
“There really is no end to infrastructure improvements and infrastructure investments. We have to constantly be investing in our system to make sure that we are complying with changing EPA and federal regulations when it comes to water quality and water quality standards,” Hannah said.
Under the proposal, the average customer’s water bill would go up $15 per month and the average residential wastewater bill for a customer using 3,000 gallons would increase by $19 per month, if approved by the PSC.
That’s too much of an increase, especially for low-income residents, according to Kanawha County Commission President Kent Carper who is against the rate hike.
“Many Kanawha Countians live on fixed incomes, but trust me on this, it’s more than that,” he said.
Carper told MetroNews the company should reorganize its finances instead of burdening its customers.
“Their solution is to spend and spend on things that they’ve let fall apart for years and then sock it to the average customer. We can’t afford this,” he said.
Hannah said WVAWC understands families are facing challenging economic times with record inflation which is why they’ve proposed new Low-Income Tariff which tailors rates to different levels of household income.
Eligible households could receive monthly bill discounts between 15% and 65% for their water and wastewater service, according to the plan.
“We want to be very cognizant of our most vulnerable customers,” Hannah said. “We know that customers are facing challenging times in our economy, and we do want to make sure that we’re presenting a rate request that is cognizant of that and make sure that we address those needs for those low-income customers.”
Carper said this isn’t the first time a utility company has requested a large rate hike. He said it’s time for the Legislature and PSC to act.
“I have called for the Legislature to cap utility bills for years. I have asked the Public Service Commission to do this. Someone needs to put a stop to this,” he said.
Carper said he’s concerned about other bills Kanawha County residents have to pay in addition to these potential water service increases.
“When you take this with the gas company’s raises, when you take this with the power company’s raises, you’re talking about a $1 billion of increases in utility bills in 12 months. Where is the Public Service Commission? Where is the Legislature? This has to stop,” he said.
The PSC is allowed 300 days to review WVAWC’s request. There will then be a public comment period.
The new rates wouldn’t take effect until February 2024, if approved.