MORGANTOWN – Customers of Preston County Public Service District No. 1 will be seeing public notice of the rate increase proposed by state Public Service Commission staff. The PSC on Friday ordered PSD1 to publish the notice.
PSC has not approved the rate increase.
PSD1 serves about 1,540 customers in the Arthurdale area. Residential customers would see their monthly bill increase by 78 cents, based on the staff recommendation.
The residential rate would increase from $19.01 per 1,000 gallons for the first 3,000 gallons used ($57.03 total) to $19.27 per 1,000 gallons – $57.81 for 3,000 gallons. The represents a 1.37% increase.
Commercial rates, based on an average of 7,400 gallons, would increase by $1.62 or 1.34%. Industrial rates, based on an average of 78,200 gallons, would increase by $9.38 or 1.33%.
The PSC order notes that PSD1 said in its 2024 annual report it had total annual water operating revenues of $1,305,625. The proposed rate increase would bring in an additional $19,859.
PSD1’s public notice must include this:
“Anyone desiring to protest the changed rates and charges must do so, in writing, within 10 days of the date of publication of this notice. All protests may be filed on line through the commission website using the “Submit a Comment” link or may be mailed to the Executive Secretary, Public Service Commission of West Virginia, P.O. Box 812, 201 Brooks Street, Charleston, West Virginia 25323, or hand-delivered to the Public Service Commission.
“To help the commission determine the justification for additional review and investigation, protests must be specific as to reasons that the changed rates and charges should be modified. The commission may adopt rates and charges which are the same as, greater than or less than the staff-recommended rates and charges.”
The PSC order observes, “On Oct. 10, 2025, several letters were received by the Commission from anonymous PSD No. 1 customers asking for an investigation of the management of the district.”
As of Monday, 54 letters of protest against the rate increase had been filed with the PSC.
