PUBLIC SERVICE COMMISSION
OF WEST VIRGINIA
CHARLESTON
CASE NO. 22-0244-PSD-CN-PC
NORTON-HARDING-JIMTOWN PUBLIC SERVICE DISTRICT
Application for a Certificate of Convenience and Necessity to
construct operate and maintain Phase III of a sanitary sewer
extension to unserved areas near Norton in Randolph County.
NOTICE OF FILING
On February 25, 2022, Norton-Harding-Jimtown Public Service District (District) filed an application, duly verified, for certificate of convenience and necessity to construct, operate and maintain Phase III of a sanitary sewer extension to unserved areas near Norton in Randolph County.
The application is for a Phase III sanitary sewer extension. The Phase III project will extend sanitary sewer service to unserved areas along County Route 151 near Norton in Randolph County.
The application is on file with and available for public inspection at the Public Service Commission, 201 Brooks Street, in Charleston, West Virginia.
The District estimates that construction will cost approximately $1,813,000. It is proposed that the construction will be financed as follows: USDA-RUS grant in the amount of $613,000; USDA-RUS loan in the amount of $700,000; and West Virginia Infrastructure & Jobs Development Council grant in the amount of $500,000.
The District anticipates charging the following increased sewer rates for its customers:
SCHEDULE I
APPLICABILITY
Applicable within the entire territory served.
AVAILABILITY
Available for residential, commercial, industrial (except unusual industrial waste), Public Authority and resale sewer service.
RATES
First 3,000 gallons used per month $14.95 per 1,000 gallons
Next 7,000 gallons used per mont $14.95 per 1,000 gallons
Over 10,000 gallons used per month $7.50 per 1,000 gallons
MINIMUM CHARGE (Customers with a metered water supply)
Each customer shall pay a minimum charge of $44.85 per month
(Equivalent to 3,000 gallons of water usage)
FLAT-RATE CHARGE (Customers non-metered water supply)
Each customer shall pay a minimum charge of $59.80 per month
(Equivalent to 4,000 gallons of water usage)
DELAYED PAYMENT PENALTY
The above schedule is net. On all current usage billings not paid in full when due, ten percent ( I 0%) will be added to the net current amount unpaid. This delayed payment penalty is not interest and is to be collected only once where it is appropriate.
SEWER SERVICE CONNECTION CHARGE
The following charges are to be made whenever the utility installs a new tap to serve an applicant:
A tap fee of $100.00 will be charged to customers applying for service before construction is completed adjacent to the customer’s premises in connection with a certificate proceeding before the Commission. This pre-construction tap fee will be invalid after the completion of construction adjacent to an applicant’s premises that is associated with a certificate proceeding.
A tap fee of $350.00, or the actual cost of the connection (solely determined by the Utility), whichever is greater, will be charged to all customers who apply for service outside of a certificate proceeding before the Commission for each new tap to the system.
DISCONNECT CHARGE/RECONNECTION FEES
Whenever water service has been disconnected for non-payment of sewer bills in conjunction with a water service termination agreement with the town of Coalton, a disconnection fee of $10.00 shall be charged.
Whenever water service has been previously disconnected or otherwise withheld for non-payment of a sewer bill in conjunction with a water service termination agreement with the Town of Coalton, is reconnected, a reconnection fee of $25.00 shall be charged.
RETURNED CHECK CHARGE
A service charge of $25.00 will be imposed upon any customer whose check for payment of charges is returned by the bank for any reason.
INCREMENTAL COSTS
An amount not to exceed $5.00 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 usage. The Utility shall establish a nondiscriminatory policy regarding this provision for leak adjustments.
EFT, CREDIT CARD AND DROP-BOX PAYMENTS
A service charge will be imposed on EFT, 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.
SECURITY DEPOSIT
As of the date of passage, the applicable provision of WV code 16-13-16e:
“The governing body may collect from all new applicants for service a deposit of $50 or two twelfths of the average annual usage of the applicant’s specific customer class, whichever is greater, to secure the payment of service rates, fees and charges in the event they become delinquent as provided in this section. In any case where a deposit is forfeited to pay service rates, fees and charges which were delinquent at the time of disconnection or termination of service, service may not be reconnected or reinstated by the governing body until another deposit equal to $50 or a sum equal to two twelfths of the average usage for the applicant’s specific customer class, whichever is greater, is remitted to the governing body. After twelve months of prompt payment history, the governing body shall return the deposit to the customer or credit the customer’s account with interest at a rate as the Public Service Commission may prescribe: Provided, That where the customer is a tenant, the governing body is not required to return the deposit until the time the tenant discontinues service with the governing body. Whenever any rates, fees, rentals or charges for services or facilities furnished remain unpaid for a period of twenty days after they become due, the user of the services and facilities provided is delinquent. The user is liable until all rates, fees and charges are fully paid. The governing body may, under reasonable rules promulgated by the Public Service mission, shut off and discontinue water services to a delinquent user of sewer facilities ten days after the sewer services become delinquent regardless of whether the governing body utilizes the security deposit to satisfy any delinquent payments: Provide, however, That nothing contained within the rules of the Public Service Commission shall be deemed to require any agents or employees of the governing body to accept payment at the customer’s premises in lieu of discontinuing service for a delinquent bill.”
As of the date of passage, the applicable provision of the PSC Water Rules, Rule 4.2.a. 1 :
This tariff in accordance with the above cited statutory language and PSC sewer rules produces a security deposit of $119.60 (based on 4,000 gpm x 2 months) for residential customers. All other classes of customers will have their required deposit calculated with the above language in regard to average usage.
SCHEDULE II
SURFACE OR GROUND WATER SURCHARGE
An additional amount shall be charges where surface or ground water is introduced into the sanitary system where evidence of a violation exists.
Surcharge formula to be applied in cases where surface drainage is connected to the utility’s sewer system.
APPLICABILITY
Where the Utility has discovered that a customer’s roof drain, downspouts, storm sewer, or other similar facilities conducting surface water have been connected to the Utility’s sewer system, and such customer has failed to take appropriate action, within thirty (30) days of receipt of a demand by the Utility in accordance with the Rules and Regulations of the Public Service Commission, to eliminate such connection, a surcharge will be imposed upon the customer calculated on the basis of the following formula:
S = A x R x .0006233 x C
S – The surcharge in dollars
A – The area under roof and/or the area of any other water
collection surface connected to the sanitary sewer, in square feet.
R – The measured monthly rainfall, in inches
.0006233 – A conversion factor to change inches of rain x square feet of surface to thousands of gallons of water
C – The Utility’s approved rate per thousand gallons of metered water usage.
The Utility shall not impose the surcharge unless, and until, the customer has been notified by certified mail, return receipt requested, or by hand delivery, that it has been established by smoke testing, dye testing, or on-site inspection that rain or other surface water is being introduced into the sanitary sewer system at the customer’s location, and that the customer has not acted within thirty (30) days from receipt of such notice to divert the water from the sanitary sewer system.
Said surcharge shall be calculated and imposed for each month that said condition continues to exist Failure to pay the surcharge and/or correct the situation shall give rise to the possible termination of water service in accordance with the Rules and Regulations of the Public Service Commission of West Virginia.
SCHEDULE III
SURCHARGE FORMULA TO BE APPLIED IN THE CASE OF USERS PRODUCING UNUSUAL WASTE
The charge for the treatment of unusual waste will be calculated on the basis of the following formula:
Ci = VoVi + BoBi + SoSi
Ci = charge to unusual users per year
Vo = average unit cost of transport and treatment chargeable to volume, in dollars per gallon
Vi = volume of wastewater from unusual users in gallons per year
Bo = average unit cost of treatment, chargeable to Biochemical
Oxygen Demand (BOD) in dollars per pound
Bi = weight of BOD from unusual users in pounds per year
So = average unit cost of treatment (including sludge treatment) chargeable to total solids in dollars per pound.
Si = weight of total solids from unusual users in pounds per year
When an unusual user is to be served, a preliminary study of its wastes, and the cost of transport and treatment thereof, will be made. Waste containing materials which, in the judgment of the Utility, should not be introduced into the sewer system need not be handled by it. The results of this preliminary study will be used to determine the feasibility of the proposed sewer service and the charge therefore, based upon the formula set out above.
Thereafter, unusual sewage will be monitored on a regular basis and at the conclusion of each fiscal year, based on the investigation aforesaid and audit of the Utility records, new cost figures will be calculated for use in the above formula. The cost of establishing the monitoring facilities shall be paid by the unusual user. Based on these audited figures, additional billings covering the past fiscal year will be made for payment by each unusual user, or refund given by the Utility, as the case may be. Such audited figures will then be used for the preliminary billing for the next fiscal year, at the end of which an adjustment will be made as aforesaid.
SCHEDULE IV
APPLICABLE INSIDE AND OUTSIDE OF THE LIMITS OF THE UTILITY
Where the amount of sanitary sewage discharged into the Utility’s wastewater collection and/or transmission and/or treatment system by certain industrial plant or plants cannot be accurately determined by the use of the plant’s water meter or meters, and said plant cannot install a flow meter to measure such waste, a special formula will be used whereby such plant of plants will pay to the Utility a sewer charge calculated at fifty ( 5 0 )gallons of water per each employee at the plant each working day.
SCHEDULE V
APPLICABILITY
Applicable within the entire territory served
AVAILABILITY OF SERVICE
Available for wastewater and leachate haulers
RATES
Commodity Charge -Each customer shall pay a commodity charge of $50.00 per 1,000 gallons per load. Load will be the actual capacity of the truck or other transport method delivering wastewater and leachate. Actual capacity shall be determined, or verified solely, by the Utility.
DELAYED PAYMENT PENALTY
The above schedule is net. On all current usage billings not paid 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 where it is appropriate.
RETURNED CHECK CHARGE
A service charge of $25.00 will be imposed upon any customer whose check for payment of charges is returned by the bank for any reason.
These rates represent the following project-related increases to become effective upon substantial completion of the project unless otherwise ordered:
AVG Gallons ($)INCREASE (%)INCREASE
Residential 3,087 $10.74 30.33%
Commercial 9,959 $34.66 30.34%
Public Authority 232 $10.44 30.34%
The District has no resale customers.
The proposed increased rates and charges related to the project will produce approximately$46,177 annually in additional revenue, an increase of 28.82%. The total increase granted will not exceed this estimate unless further notice is provided.
The increases shown are based on averages of all customers in the indicated class. Individual customers may receive increases that are greater or less than average. Furthermore, the requested rates and charges among the various classes of customers are only a proposal and are subject to change (increases or decreases) by the Public Service Commission in its review of this filing.
Anyone desiring to protest or intervene should file a written protest or request to intervene within thirty (30) days following the date of this publication unless otherwise modified by Commission order. Failure to timely protest or request to 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 request to intervene. Requests to intervene must comply with the rules on intervention set forth in the Commission’s Rules of Practice and Procedure. All protests and requests to intervene should be addressed to Karen Buckley, Acting Executive Secretary, P.O.Box 8 12, Charleston, West Virginia 25323.
In the absence of substantial protests within said thirty (30) day period, the Commission may waive formal hearing and render its decision on the application based on the evidence submitted with said application and its review thereof.
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