Public Notice

PUBLIC NOTICE OF
CHANGE IN FEES
NOTICE is hereby given that the City of Chester Water & Sewer Dept public utility, has adopted by ordinance on April 7th 2025 a tariff containing increased charges for furnishing Water service to 1,330 customers at Chester in the County of Hancock.
The proposed increased charges will become effective May 19th 2025 unless otherwise ordered by the Public Service Commission. The changes are as follows:
Leak Adjustment Policy
$3.50 per 1,000 gallons is to be used when the bill reflects unusual water 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 200% of the customer’s historical average usage.
Only one such leak adjustment shall be applied in a twelve-month period.
After Hours Service Call Fee
Customer service calls after regular business hours (Monday – Friday 8 AM to 4 PM and anytime on holidays and weekends) will result in a $25.00 fee plus an hourly rate of $20.00. Any service call that involves the property of the City of Chester Water Department which includes water mains or meters will not be subject to this fee. After hours shut-offs or after hours service restorations, or non-emergent, after hours consultations will be subject to this fee.
Unlawful Use of Meter Fee
In the event that a water meter is removed or locked by a Chester Municipal Water Works employee to prevent a customer from unlawfully obtaining water following a customer’s service being disconnected by the utility for customer non-payment, the customer shall pay a water reinstallation fee of $100.00 before the meter is reinstalled or unlocked and before water service is restored. This fee shall be in addition to any other fees or penalties assessed.
Furthermore, the requested rates and charges are only a proposal and are subject to change (increases or decreases) by the Public Service Commission in its review of this filing. The Commission shall review and approve or modify the increased rates only upon the filing of a petition within thirty (30) days of the adoption of the ordinance changing said rates or charges, by:
(1) Any customer aggrieved by the changed rates or charges who presents to the Commission a petition signed by not less than twenty-five percent of the customers served by such municipally operated public utility; or
(2) Any customer who is served by a municipally operated natural gas public utility and who resides outside the corporate limits and who is affected by the change in said rates or charges and who presents to the Commission a petition alleging discrimination between customers within and without the municipal boundaries. Said petition shall be accompanied by evidence of discrimination; or
(3) Any customer or group of customers of a municipally operated natural gas utility who are affected by said change in rates who reside within the municipal boundaries and who present a petition to the Commission alleging discrimination between said customer or group of customers and other customers of the municipal utility. Said petition shall be accompanied by evidence of discrimination.
All petitions should be addressed to the Executive Secretary, Public Service Commission of West Virginia, 201 Brooks Street, P. O. Box 812, Charleston, West Virginia 25323.
A complete copy of the proposed rates, as well as a representative of the utility to provide any information requested concerning it, is available to all customers, prospective customers, or their agents at any of the following offices of the utility.
City of Chester Water and Sewer Dept – 600 Indiana Avenue Chester, WV 26034
A copy of the proposed rates is available for public inspection at the office of the Executive Secretary of the Public Service Commission at 201 Brooks Street, P. O. Box 812, Charleston, West Virginia 25323.
WDT Apr 15, 22, 2025