PUBLIC SERVICE COMMISSION
OF WEST VIRGINIA
CHARLESTON
CASE NO. 25-0443-PWD-308
CENTRAL HAMPSHIRE PUBLIC SERVICE DISTRICT
Rule 30B application to pass through the increased resale/bulk water rate from the Town of Romney to the District’s water customers.
NOTICE OF FILING
NOTICE is hereby given that in Case No. 24-0878-W-PWD-P, the Commission approved an initial wholesale rate increase for Romney, effective for service rendered on and after May 26, 2025. The wholesale rate increased 8.06%, from $4.96 to $5.36 per thousand gallons, an increase $0.40 in purchased water costs of the Central Hampshire Public Service District. The Commission also approved a Romney wholesale rate of $5.96 effective for service rendered upon substantial completion of the upcoming Romney water improvement project or commencement of payment of debt service, whichever occurs first, an additional increase of $1.00 per thousand gallons, or 20.16% over the previous water resale rate.
On July 21, 2025, the Commission issued an Order which approved the first set of Staff Recommended Rates, on an interim basis, for all service rendered on and after July 21, 2025. The Order stated “We will also require the District to timely report the dates of the future project in service notices or debt service initiation that trigger the necessity for a related 30-B or project-related rate adjustment so that Staff can calculate the correct tariff schedule rates and CWCR percentages at that time.”
On August 28, 2025, Commission Staff recommended that the Commission approve the formerly labeled Staff Recommended Rates – Step 5 in the June 5, 2025 Initial and Final Joint Staff Memorandum as Staff Recommended Rates – Step 1 with a CWCR incremental percentage of 8.70% effective for all service rendered on and after the date of the interim order approving these rates. Staff also recommended the Commission approve the formerly labeled Staff Recommended Rates- Step 6 in the June 5, 2025 Initial and Final Joint Staff Memorandum as Staff Recommended Rates – Step 2 with a CWCR incremental percentage of 8.38% effective for all service rendered on and after the date of the interim order approving these rates, and upon substantial completion of the Town of Romney’s upcoming water improvement project or commencement of payment of debt service, whichever occurs first.
The Central Hampshire Public Service District filed for increased rates to recover the increased cost of purchased water. Commission Staff reviewed the District’s application and recommended that recovering the initial Romney increase will require an increase in the District’s rates of $0.56 per thousand gallons. This rate increase is higher than the $0.40 per thousand gallon wholesale cost increase because of the substantial water losses on the District’s system. By Order issued November 6, 2025, the Commission approved the Staff Recommended Rates on an interim basis, for all bills issued on and after
November 6, 2025.
The average monthly bill for District customers will be changed as follows over existing rates prior to this case under Step 1:
$Increase %Increase
Residential $1.51 2.84%
Commercial $6.94 3.07%
The average monthly bill for District customers will be changed as follows over existing rates prior to this case under Step 2:
$Increase %Increase
Residential $ 3.75 7.04%
Commercial $17.24 7.62%
The 30B procedure is designed to provide for a change in rates and charges in order to produce additional revenue sufficient, but no more than sufficient, to offset the increased cost for water purchased by the utility. Consequently, protest should be limited to the reasonableness of the cost offset and the method by which it is calculated. Anyone desiring to protest or intervene should file a written protest or notice of intervention within twenty (20) days following the date of this publication unless such date is modified by Commission order. Failure to timely intervene can affect your rights to protest any rate increases and to participate in future proceedings. Requests to intervene must comply with the Commission’s rules on intervention. All protests and interventions should be addressed to the Executive Secretary, Public Service Commission of West Virginia, P.O. Box 812, Charleston, WV 25323.
CENTRAL HAMPSHIRE PUBLIC SERVICE DISTRICT
11-12-1c