patching...
Update: Do you get the daily Del Ray Patch newsletter? Learn more here! »
Welcome back, Patch Blogger!

Water Bills

Friday, November 30, 2012

Letter to the Editor: Alexandria Renew CEO on Rate Hikes

Alexandria Renew Enterprises CEO Karen Pallansch responds to recent Patch article.

To the editor: From reading the comments on Dana Damico’s article in the Patch on the recent increases in water cleaning rates, I can see there is a certain amount of misinformation and confusion about the water, wastewater and collection system billing and rates that I hope to clear up. I can’t speak for Virginia American Water, but I can discuss Alexandria Renew Enterprises. First, let’s accept the fact that rate increases are driven solely by one thing: environmental mandates, driven by public desire for a clean and safe water environment. In November 2006, the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality (VDEQ) informed wastewater treatment plants throughout the Commonwealth that they would have to remove more nutrients—primarily …

Tom Van Wagner

4:36 pm on Friday, December 28, 2012

Gail- Mark and Lee are both correct. The Bay Protection Charge is described of p 19 of the 2010 Annual report (http://alexrenew.com/wp-content/uploads/Final-2010-Annual-Report.pdf "...the cost of treating water is going to increase in the coming years. One reason is more stringent environmental regulations that call for cleaner wastewater that will help restore the health of the Chesapeake Bay. …   more ›

Thursday, November 29, 2012

Higher Water Bills Surprise Residents

Rate hikes kick in at the same time as Virginia American Water and Alexandria Renew Enterprises roll out new, separated bills.

If your most recent water bill seemed higher than normal, it was. Did you notice that the cost of treating your wastewater went up too?  This fall, for the first time, Alexandria residents and businesses received separate bills for their water and the cost of cleaning it.  Virginia American Water, which supplies water to homes and businesses in the city and beyond, unexpectedly announced last year it would no longer provide third-party billing services. So, the wastewater treatment costs formerly included on the quarterly bills, were sent separately by Alexandria Renew Enterprises.  The company changed its name from the Alexandria Sanitation Authority. The separate bills started appearing in mailboxes in October and immediately alarmed …

Sylvia Alimena

5:12 pm on Wednesday, January 2, 2013

The problem that I have is that we are paying for what could be considered "user fees" for our water. The fees that come from Alexandria Renew each quarter are about 150% higher than the actual water. That's just wrong. These high rates also put a burden on lower income families. You can't get water in Alexandria unless you pay a minimum of $500 per year. That's just too high and it's morally …   more ›

Got a Hot Tip?
 
 

Videos