WV AMERICAN WATER WANTS 25% INCREASE

(07/31/2007)
West Virginia's Public Service Commission has set aside a week in December to consider a major 25% rate increase request from West Virginia American Water Company.

WV-American Water is owned by a foreign conglomerate.

A final decision on the rate hike request will likely come down next March.

The company provides water to more West Virginia residents than any other company with 600,000 customers in a 19 county region.

The company filed a $24 million increase request in early June to pay for additional investments in the system.

The increase would raise the average customer's bill by $8.51 a month, but commercial users would be paying much higher charges on the average.