The District of Columbia Water and Sewer Authority (WASA) Board is considering a proposed 8.5 percent rate increase for water and sewer services, effective October 1, 2008. WASA provides water and wastewater collection and treatment services for retail customers in the District. Gradual rate increases are required to cover the costs of WASA’s 10-year, $3.1 billion capital improvement program to upgrade the District’s water and sewer infrastructure and to meet expanding federal requirements for controlling water pollution.

If approved, the combined water and sewer rate would increase from $5.37 per hundred cubic feet (Ccf) to $5.83 per Ccf. In addition to this increase, the Right-of-Way/Payment In Lieu Of Taxes (PILOT) fee will increase from $0.47 per Ccf to $0.52 per Ccf, divided as follows: Payment in Lieu of Taxes to the District of Columbia - $0.39 per Ccf; and District of Columbia Right-of-Way fee - $0.13 per Ccf. These fees are charged to WASA by the District of Columbia government, and are passed through as a separate line item on the WASA bill. Under the current proposal, the typical residential customer’s monthly bill would increase by approximately $4.24 per month (based on an average monthly usage of 8.33 (Ccf) or 6,231 gallons of water).

The proposed rate increases will be extensively publicized and discussed at a number of community meetings and a formal hearing. Included in this year’s public discussion on rate adjustments will be WASA’s proposed policy to implement a separate impervious surface rate structure. Rather than use the per-gallon water purchase rate, to pay for the $2.2 billion combined sewer overflow (CSO) control plan, this separate proposal for a new rate structure, effective with the April 2009 bill, would be based on the amount of impervious area on each property producing water runoff entering the city’s sewer system.

Two public hearings are scheduled. Information follows below.

-Wednesday, June 11, 2008 from 6:30-8:30 pm at the Council of Governments (COG) 777 North Capitol Street, NE.

-Monday, June 23, 2008 from 10:00 am to 12:00 noon at the Council of Governments (COG) 777 North Capitol Street, NE.

Additional information on WASA’s rate proposal is available by calling the Office of Public Affairs at (202) 787-2200.