Tag: Water Bill

West Virginia Water Company Asks to Raise Prices 24 Percent

A company in West Virginia says it’s seeking to raise prices for customers by nearly $12 per month.

WSAZ-TV reports West Virginia American Water is asking the Public Service Commission to approve the 24 percent rate increase. The increase would add about $32 million to the company’s revenue.

The company says ongoing infrastructure investments and the state’s falling population have prompted the request. Company President Brian Bruce says the costs to provide water are fixed and don’t vary with the volume of water sold.

WSAZ says the company has raised rates five times since 2007, with the most recent being a 15 percent increase in 2016. The company also added a surcharge to bills last year.

If approved, the rate change won’t go into effect until February 2019.

Thousands Without Water After Nearly $894,000 in Unpaid Bills

Water service has been turned off for more than 1,000 homes as the Huntington Sanitary Board has sent thousands of shut-off requests to West Virginia American Water as it pursues customers more than 30 days late on paying their sewer bill.

The Herald-Dispatch reports city communications director Bryan Chambers says the water company has acted on 1,252 of the nearly 4,000 requests sent since April and that 1,055 were sent June 28.

According to the city, the board has more than 22,000 accounts and those that are two months past due total nearly $894,000.

Board director Wes Leek says members approved a measure stationing an off-duty police officer at its office as customers have threatened service representatives, in addition to spitting at and punching the bulletproof glass they sit behind.

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