PUBLIC NOTICE OF PROPOSED CHANGE IN RATES FOR WATER SERVICE
NOTICE is hereby given that the board of the Claywood Park Public Service District (“District”) will consider adopting an increase to rates, fees, and charges for furnishing water service to 4,046 customers in Wood and Wirt Counties.
The District’s present rates generate $3,456,175 annually. The District is not presently meeting its statutory cash working capital reserve (CWCR) fund obligations, renewal and replacement (R&R) account, bond coverage requirements, and is operating at a cash flow deficit of $251,717. The District is experiencing inflationary impacts which are anticipated to continue in the future. The District desires to hire an additional employee. The District proposes that Step One rates go into effect for service rendered after August 22, 2025, and Step Two rates would be effective for service rendered after August22, 2026.
Currently, the District has four different water rate schedules, its General Rate Schedule (“Schedule I”), its Deerwalk/Camp Barbe/Rt. 14/Mountwood Park Schedule (“Schedule II”), its Walker-Kites Run/Little Kanawha Estates Schedule (“Schedule III”), and its Sale for Resale Schedule. the District desires to make its Schedule I, Schedule II, and Schedule III rate schedules uniform in the future so that billing is simpler and can be performed more economically.
The recommended Step One rates show that with a 23.07% increase to current Schedule I and 2.23% increase to current Schedule III rates, Schedule I and Schedule III rates will be identical, the District will be able to operate in a solvent manner, fully fund its CWCR account in compliance with statutory obligations, fully fund its R&R account, meet its bond coverage requirements in compliance with bond obligations, and cover the increased costs caused by inflation, resulting in an annual unrestricted cash surplus of $21,121 on $3,965,469 of operating income.
The recommended Step Two rates show that with a 10.10% increase to Step One Schedule I rates, Schedule III will be merged into Schedule I, the District will be able to cover the anticipated inflationary increased in costs of electric power, chemicals, and labor, and allow the District to hire one new employee, resulting in an annual unrestricted cash surplus of only $2,158 on $4,254,349 of operating income.
The District’s Schedule II customers will not experience rate increases because of the current elevated rate variance experienced by those customers. Under the District’s current tariff, the average Schedule II residential rate payer pays a 73% higher rate for water service than Schedule I ratepayers and a 43% higher rate than Schedule III ratepayers. Upon implementation of Step Two rates, the average Schedule II residential ratepayer will pay a 27% higher rate for water than a Schedule I ratepayer.
The District’s current rates are as follows:
Schedule I Schedule ll Schedule III
Minimum Bill $30.15 $52.20 $36.30
3,400 Gallon Bill $33.11 $57.32 $39.86
4,000 Gallon Bill $37.54 $64.99 $45.19
The District’s proposed Step One rates are as follows:
Schedule I Schedule II Schedule III
Minimum Bill $37.11 $52.20 $37.11
3,400 Gallon Bill $40.75 $57.32 $40.75
4,000 Gallon Bill $46.20 $64.99 $46.20
The District’s proposed Step Two rates are as follows:
Schedule I Schedule II
Minimum Bill $40.86 $52.20
3,400 Gallon Bill $44.86 $57.32
4,000 Gallon Bill $50.87 $64.99
The District also proposes a change to its Leak Adjustment rate to apply only on consumption in excess of 200% of the customer’s average monthly usage, in conformance with the Public Service Commission’s Water Rule 6.4.3.a. Currently, the Leak Adjustment reads:
$4.00 per 1,000 gallons is to be used when a bill reflects unusual consumption which can be attributed to eligible leakage on customer’s side of the meter. This rate shall be applied to all such consumption above the customer’s historical average usage.
The proposed change to the Leak Adjustment is as follows:
$4.00 per 1,000 gallons is to be used when a bill reflects unusual consumption which can be attributed to eligible leakage on customer’s side of the meter. This rate shall be applied to all consumption in excess of 200% of the customer’s average monthly usage.
The Board of the District will hold a public hearing at its office located at 594 Davisville Road, Davisville, WV 26142, on July 8, 2025, at 2:00 p.m. concerning the adoption of the proposed changes to its rates, fees, and charges with a final vote on adoption to occur immediately thereafter. Any interested parties may appear at the foregoing public hearing and be heard with respect to the proposed rate, fees, and charges or may submit written comments in advance of the hearing to the District at the following address:Claywood Park PSD, P.O. Box 127, Parkersburg, WV 26102. A complete copy of the proposed rates is available for inspection by the public at the District’s office.
CLAYWOOD PARK PUBLIC SERVICE DISTRICT
June 23