Curtis Tate Published

Charleston Officials Ask PSC To Pause Gas And Water Rate Increases

Mounds of dirt surround holes in the street with orange caution signs and cones to warn drivers.
Officials were working to restore gas lines on Charleston's West Side on Nov. 16, 2023.
Curtis Tate/West Virginia Public Broadcasting
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City officials in Charleston want to pause water and gas rate increases for local residents in the wake of recent outages.

Charleston Mayor Amy Goodwin and members of the city council have asked the West Virginia Public Service Commission (PSC) to reject or delay proposed rate increases by West Virginia American Water and Mountaineer Gas.

If the PSC approves the increases for both companies, they would take effect in a matter of weeks. City officials want the PSC to at least delay the increases for West Side residents until April 1.

Hundreds of residents on the West Side lost gas service on Nov. 10 when a high-pressure water main burst, flooding gas lines with water.

As of Tuesday, Mountaineer Gas had restored service to 1,000 customers and about 90 percent of the 46 miles of affected gas lines.