Legal 3 col x 10-1/2”
1103
PUBLIC SERVICE COMMISSION
OF WEST VIRGINIA
CHARLESTON
CASE NO. 22-0819-S-CN
TOWN OF CLAY,
Application for a certificate of convenience and necessity to
Undertake a project to upgrade and repair its wastewater Treatment system.
AMENDED
NOTICE OF FILING
On August 31, 2022, the Town of Clay, West Virginia, acting by and through its Municipal Water Works and Sanitation Board (Board), filed an application, duly verified, for a certificate of convenience and necessity to undertake a project to upgrade and repair its wastewater treatment system (Project). The improvements associated with the Project include a replacement of a manually cleaned coarse bar screen with a mechanically cleaned coarse bar screen, conversion of two aeration basins to an intermittent cycle extended aeration system sequencing batch reactor unit, replacement of diffusers for the aerated sludge basin, installation of sludge dewatering, roll back, covered dumpsters specifically designed to dewater sewer solids, reconfiguration of the RAS pump flows, and upgrades to 5 existing pump stations. The application is on file with and available for public inspection at the Public Service Commission, 201 Brooks Street, in Charleston, West Virginia, at Clay Town Hall, 956 Main Street, Clay, West Virginia 25043 and online.
The Board will fund the Project with a $5,000,000 United States Department of Housing and Urban Development Community Development Block Grant Disaster Recovery Grant and a $925,000 grant from the West Virginia Infrastructure & Jobs Development Council. Additionally, the Project will be financed by a $545,000 West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) Clean Water State Revolving Fund (CWSRF) Design Debt Forgiveness Loan and a $621,500 DEP CWSRF Debt Forgiveness Loan. The rates charged by the Board will not be affected by the Project.
The Town Council of Clay will be considering a sewer rate increase ordinance. The first reading occurred at the Town Council Meeting on November 1, 2022. The second reading, public hearing, and vote on final adoption will occur at the Town Council Meeting on November 17, 2022 at 5:30 p.m. The Sewer rate increase ordinance would increase rates 25% across-the-board to go into effect upon substantial completion of the Project. The resulting rates would be the following:
APPLICABILITY
Applicable within the entire territory served
AVAILABILITY OF SERVICE
Available for residential, commercial, governmental and industrial and wastewater service.
RATES (Customers with metered wastewater supply)
First 2,000 gallons used per month $20.21 per 1,000 gallons
All over 2,000 gallons used per month $20.21 per 1,000 gallons
MINIMUM CHARGE
No bill will be rendered for less than $40.42 per month
FLAT-RATE CHARGE (Customers with non-metered water supply)
Each customer shall pay a minimum charge of $54.57 per month.
(Equivalent to 2,700 gallons of water usage)
DELAYED PAYMENT PENALTY
The above tariff is net. On all accounts not paid in full when due, ten percent (10%) will be added to the net current amount unpaid. This delayed payment penalty is not interest and is to be collected only once for each bill where it is appropriate.
RETURNED CHECK CHARGE
A service charge equal to the actual bank fee assessed to the Town or a maximum of $25.00 will be imposed upon any customer whose check for payment of charges is returned by the bank due to insufficient funds.
WATER DISCONNECT/RECONNECT/ADMINISTRATIVE FEES
Water service will not be restored until all past due wastewater bills have been paid in full.
There shall be a $25.00 reconnection charge paid prior to restoration of water service which has been previously disconnected for any reason.
In the event that Town staff or agents collect money at the customer’s residence in order to stop disconnection, an administrative fee of $25.00 shall be paid in addition to other charges to prevent disconnection.
CONNECTION CHARGE
$325.00
SECURITY DEPOSITS
All new applicants for residential or other wastewater service shall make a deposit of (i) a minimum of fifty dollars ($50.00), or (ii) or two-twelfths (2/12) of the annual estimated charge for wastewater service, whichever is greater. The Town shall not be bound to supply wastewater until this condition is fulfilled. In any case where a deposit is forfeited to pay service rates and charges which were delinquent at the time of disconnection or termination of service, no reconnection or reinstatement of service may be made by the Town until another deposit, as described above, has been remitted to the Town. A refundable security deposit will be refunded with interest (at a rate provided annually by the Public Service Commission) after 12 consecutive months of on time payments.
LEAK ADJUSTMENT
$3.50 per 1,000 gallons is to be used when a bill reflects unusual consumption which can be attributed to eligible leakage on the customer’s side of the meter. This rate shall be applied to all such consumption above the customer’s historical average usage.
EFT, ACH, CREDIT CARD AND DROP BOX PAYMENTS
A service charge will be imposed on EFT, ACH, Credit card or Drop Box payments. The amount shall be equal to the actual charges to the Utility from the financial institution for processing payment.
Anyone desiring to protest or intervene should file a written protest or notice of intervention within 30 days following the date of this publication unless otherwise modified by Commission order. Failure to timely protest or intervene can affect your right to protest aspects of this certificate case, including any associated rate increases, or to participate in future proceedings. All protests or requests to intervene should briefly state the reason for the protest or intervention. Requests to intervene must comply with the Commission’s rules on intervention set forth in the Commission’ s Rules of Practice and Procedure. All protests and interventions should be addressed to Karen Buckley, Executive Secretary, P.O. Box 812, Charleston, West Virginia 25323. The Commission also accepts comments online.
In the absence of substantial protest received within thirty days of this publication, the Commission may waive formal hearing and grant the application based on the evidence submitted with said application and its review thereof.
TOWN OF CLAY