Newport News Water Bills Rise as Waterworks Begins First Rate Increase Since 2017
Newport News Waterworks’ first rate increase since 2017 took effect July 1, raising water consumption rates, account fees, service charges and some one-time connection costs for customers across the city.
Waterworks estimates that an average household of four will pay about $8 to $10 more per month, or roughly 31 cents per day. The actual change will vary by water use, meter size, account type and charges that appear on the same bill but are set by other city departments.
Residential water rates now use three tiers
For single-metered residential customers, the revised schedule charges $4.01 per hundred cubic feet for the first 0 to 2 hundred cubic feet, $4.61 for usage above 2 through 25 hundred cubic feet, and $9.23 for usage above 25 hundred cubic feet.
One hundred cubic feet equals 748 gallons. The variable portion of a household’s bill therefore depends on how much water it uses during the billing period, with the highest conservation rate applying to residential consumption above 25 hundred cubic feet.
Waterworks says the adjustment reflects aging infrastructure, inflation and new regulatory costs. The utility also says the additional revenue will help maintain nearly 1,800 miles of pipeline, operate two treatment facilities around the clock and fund critical system upgrades. Those explanations and the household estimate are statements from Waterworks, not an independent comparison of regional rates.
Fixed fees also affect the bill
The updated schedule includes a $50 account fee for each applicant establishing or transferring water service. The schedule also lists a separate advance fee based on meter size; for a 5/8-inch meter, that advance fee is $50 and remains on the account until it is applied to the final bill when service ends.
Each bill also includes a monthly service fee based on meter size. For a 5/8-inch meter, the Waterworks service fee is $16.25 before Newport News’ $1.60 fire-protection service fee.
Customers should distinguish the consumption charge from fixed service and account fees. A household with low usage may see a different overall increase than a household using substantially more water, even when both have the same meter size.
Businesses and industrial users have different structures
Commercial, institutional, governmental, military and apartment customers generally pay a uniform rate of $4.61 per hundred cubic feet under the revised schedule.
Industrial customers use a two-tier declining structure: $4.61 per hundred cubic feet for usage from 0 through 40,000 HCF and $4.01 per HCF for usage above 40,000 HCF.
Businesses, apartment properties and other larger accounts may also face higher fixed monthly service fees because those charges are tied to meter size. Their total bills will depend on both consumption and the applicable account and service charges.
Sewer and solid-waste charges are separate
Newport News sewer and solid-waste charges may appear on Waterworks bills, but they are determined by the city’s Department of Public Works. Waterworks bills, collects and forwards those charges as an agent.
The July 1 schedule lists a Newport News sewer service fee of $5 per month for a 5/8-inch meter, a sewer maintenance charge of $3.37 per HCF and solid-waste fees of $5.84 per week for a 60-gallon container or $7.30 per week for a 90-gallon container.
Those charges are separate from Waterworks’ water consumption and service rates. The full bill may change for reasons unrelated to household water use.
New connections can involve one-time costs
The revised schedule also covers tap fees, connection costs, required permits, street repairs and system development fees. These are not monthly household charges. They generally apply to new connections, meter work or development-related service.
Representative complete water-connection fees range from $1,700 for a 3/4-inch tap with a 5/8-inch meter to $3,600 for a 2-inch tap, pipe and meter. Required permit and street-repair costs are added separately.
System development fees also rise with meter size. The listed fee is $2,520 for a 5/8-inch meter, $3,780 for a 3/4-inch meter and $6,300 for a 1-inch meter, with substantially higher charges for larger meters. Customers opening or transferring an account should separately account for the $50 account fee.
For existing residents, the immediate change is the higher rate structure applied to bills affected by the July 1 effective date. Waterworks’ estimate for a typical four-person household is about $8 to $10 more per month, but individual bills will depend on actual use and the combination of charges on the account.
Sources
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