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Rates
Current Schedule of Rates, Fees and Charges
The current schedule of rates, fees and charges may
be viewed by clicking the link below.
Fairfax Water rates remain the lowest in the region.
Click here to view a comparison chart of local water rates.
NOTICE OF WATER RATE PUBLIC HEARING
A public hearing on proposed revisions is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. on Thursday,
December 9, 2010, at Fairfax Water’s offices at 8570 Executive Park Avenue,
Fairfax, VA.
Fairfax Water is proposing a revision of its Schedule of Rates, Fees and Charges
to be effective with meter readings taken on or after April 1, 2011. The
proposed revisions include increases in the Water Usage (Commodity) Charge (from
$1.93 to $2.04 per 1,000 gallons) and Quarterly Billing Service Charge (from
$7.30 to $8.35). Increases in various other charges are also proposed.
A copy of
the proposed rate schedule may be viewed or downloaded by clicking here.
Rate Increase Effective April 1, 2010–
Rates Remain Lowest in Region
On Dec. 10, 2009, Fairfax Water approved revisions to its Schedule
of Rates, Fees and Charges to be effective with meter readings taken
on or after April 1, 2010. Even with the increase, Fairfax Water’s
rates remain the lowest in the Washington metropolitan region. The
rate increase was necessary due to a number of factors:
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The rate
increase safeguards Fairfax Water’s AAA ratings from the three
top national financial rating agencies. At nearly $38 million
annually, debt cost is the largest single expense of Fairfax
Water. This is important as the water industry is one of the
most capital intensive of all businesses. In fact, our industry
is two to three times more capital intensive than the electric
industry. Fairfax Water is one of only a handful of water
utilities in the country to receive AAA ratings from all three
top rating services. The AAA bond ratings reflect a high level
of confidence in Fairfax Water’s financial management and equate
to lower interest costs and lower over all rates.
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Fairfax
Water has experienced significant cost increases over the last
few years for fuel, power, chemicals and construction materials.
Increases in these factors have far outpaced normal inflation.
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Continuous improvements to our infrastructure are necessary to
ensure the supply, quality, and reliability of your drinking
water. Enhancements over the past several years generated
capital expenditures of $500 million, with another $600 million
anticipated over the next 10 years. Recent capital improvements
included an extensive expansion of the Corbalis treatment plant.
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Fairfax Water’s most important resource is our workforce. Like
many organizations, our costs for health care and retirement
benefits have increased significantly. We have taken specific
steps to manage these costs and put into place measures to
moderate costs in future years.
It is always
our priority to provide our customers with the best quality water;
it is a privilege to do so at the lowest rates in the region.
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