The Town has made a request to the West Virginia Public Service Commission for a 60% rate increase for both the retail and wholesale rates. The retail rate would apply to the customer’s in Grantsville that buy directly from the City. The wholesale rates would apply to Mt. Zion PSD and Pleasant Hill PSD who buy water from Grantsville to resell to their own customer base.
If 25% of the Customers file a petition with the PSC, the PSC will investigate if the rate increase is justified and act according.
*Jurisdiction of the Commission may be triggered by receipt of a petition signed by not less than 25 % of the customers served by a non-locally rate regulated municipally operated utility.
Form more information click here: http://www.psc.state.wv.us/complaints/ConsumerComplaintProcedures.htm
Mt. Zion’s current base rate for water only is $44.16
Pleasant Hill’s base rate for water only is $31.44
Grantsville’s current base rate for water only is $18.18
A slight deception on those rates is the fact that Mt. Zion and Pleasant Hill’s rates are based on a 2,000 gallon base usage. The Town rate is based on a 1,500 gallon base usage. Meaning Mt. Zion pays .22 cents per gallon, Pleasant Hill customers pay .15 cents per gallon and Grantsville’s customers may .12 cents per gallon. If Grantsville’s rate was based on 2000 gallons, there base rate for water only would be $24.24. Still not ast high as Pleasant Hill and Mt. Zion’s but not as low as it appears.
The Mayor’s reasoning for the increase is because the previous administrations have not done cost of living adjustments for decades. The Mayor complained that they have subsidized the Water plant $30,000 since the beginning of the fiscal year, because it is currently not covering the operation costs by it’s revenues. The water plant currently has one certified Class II operator and two in training, preparing to test, but those will not be certified until achieving 2,000 hours of in plant training (not in other departments or running around town) and passing a class I Test, followed by taking a class II Test and another certified 2,000 hours of in plant training, not working in other departments or running around town.
If this rate increase goes into effect, the additional amount that will be added to the base water bill portion only of a Grantsville water bill will be $10.91 according to the Mayor’s calculations.
Mt. Zion and Pleasant Hill customers rates will have to be calculated by the those agencies.
If a petition is not filed with the WV PSC and an investigation is not made into Grantsville’s financial necessity of this increase, the increase will happen.
