Washington County Service Authority

Review: WCSA provides water and sewer services and they have listed in their correspondence that they are a private enterprise. They are not governed by our county board of supervisors or any other authority. Recently they came through our subdivision and installed sewer lines. Each resident had to pay $2400 fee up front toward this construction in spite of lots of grant monies that came into this company. Now that the line is in place, for myself and others who cannot afford to have 90' of pipe, backflow valve, etc., installed to hook in, they are charging each of us $23.11 for a non-user fee. This will almost double my water bill which varies between $23 and $26. I do not feel it is fair to charge those of us who use the least amount of water a fee that equates to the same as a "user" fee. They had stated the non-user fee would be only a proportion of our bill. Those of us who use 2000 gallons of water or less are having our bills doubled for non-use and those who use much higher gallons (5000 for ex.) are paying about 20% for their non-use. They are exploiting and overcharging those of us at the bottom usage level. This is not fair to give us a 90-100% markup for lack of ability to finance a connection. This company has exploited us and been dishonest with customers since the beginning. We have no one to turn to because no county authority is above them since they are a private enterprise (stated in a brochure they sent out and which I can send a copy to you of this paragraph via email if you send me an address. I hope you will please address this issue or send me specific information as to who would be the authority this water company has to answer to.Desired Settlement: I want a Non-User fee that is not a flat rate but which is a proportion, as stated in their code. A proportion is a ratio or % that is to be applied fairly for usage per 1000 gallons, for example. A person using 2000 or less gallons would pay a much smaller non-use fee monthly than a person using 5000 gallons, for example. This ratio or % would be consistently applied up the ladder of usage. A proportion is NOT a flat rate. If a person cannot afford a connection they should not be charged as if they are using the sewer at what is a full usage rate monthly for me as it is now.

Business

Response:

Thank you for the opportunity to respond to a complaint filed with the Revdex.com by Ms. [redacted] of Abingdon, Virginia. This response is not intended to address the particulars of Ms. [redacted]'s complaint regarding the Washington County Service Authority (WCSA) but to provide the basis for the decisions affecting Ms. [redacted]. The Virginia Water and Waste Authorities Act, Va. Code § 15.2-5100 et seq., is the statutory authority under which WCSA operates. The ability to impose rates, fees and charges is set forth in Va. Code § 15.2-5114, "Powers of Authority," and specific rates, fees and charges are set forth in Va. Code § 15.2-5136 "Rates and charges." More specifically, Va. Code § 15.2-5137(C) provides for the imposition of "a connection fee, a front footage fee, and a monthly nonuser service charge" for "those persons having a private septic system ... meeting applicable standards established by the Virginia Department of Health [who are] not required under this chapter to discontinue the use of such system." That same statute goes on to set forth the specific method of calculating the monthly nonuser service change, as "not ... more than that proportion of the minimum monthly user charge, imposed by the authority, as debt service bears to the total operating and debt service costs." Further, the Washington County Code of Ordinances, adopted by the Washington County Board of Supervisors, includes at Chapter 62, Article I, Section 1 a mirror of the statutory language included at Va. Code § 15.2-5137(C). WCSA is charged with enforcement of the County ordinance. Accordingly, the statutory authority for WCSA's connection fee and monthly nonuser fee is set forth above. It is not permissible under Virginia law or Washington County code to honor Ms. [redacted]'s request to change the method of calculating the monthly nonuser fee. Moreover, WCSA bond covenants with at least three separate funding agencies (USDA Rural Development, Virginia Department of Environmental Quality and Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development) stipulate that WCSA must enforce user agreement commitments made by residents prior to seeking funding and the Washington County Code of Ordinances. If we fail to do so, we are in violation of our agreement with the agencies and subject to whatever penalties they may impose. I thank you for the opportunity to respond. [redacted] General Manager Washington County Service Authority

Consumer

Response:

If you notice, the amount this company is allowed to impose for a NON-USER is a "flat rate" and not a PROPORTION as referred to in the reply from WCSA. My water usage this month is 1000 gallons and I will pay $22.90 for water. How is $23.11 reflecting a PROPORTION of my water usage??? A proportion cannot be a flat rate and this is what WCSA is in error on. Until they come up with a proportionate scale based on 1000 gallons of usage, 2000 gallons, etc., I am not willing to sign off as satisfied. I request a document to show you and me the charge that will be imposed on a USER of sewer at each 1000 gallons of water so that it will be evident to you and to me that I am being billed for USAGE and not a NON-USAGE FEE. I also want to know who is the authority above them to whom I can send correspondence and submit an appeal. No private enterprise should be able to come in and force a service on customers and charge them if they cannot afford to hook in to this line. I have paid them $2400 to just have their line laying in my back yard. I should not be coerced into paying as if I am using the sewer by being charged an equal fee to what I would pay if I were using it. A non-user fee should not be more than half of my monthly bill($11-12 max and this is really poor PR on the part of a private enterprise to strong arm its customers when economics are what they are these days--choose to have your electricity on, clothes on your back, food on the table or pay some greedy company monies monthly for a service you aren't even using and cannot afford to connect into). I want to receive the above pieces of information ASAP. It should be readily available. Thank you.